Foster care in California pays a base rate of $1,301 per month for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, with higher amounts when the child has greater care needs. The full range for a Resource Family Home runs from $1,301 at the basic level to $3,396 per month for intensive services placements. Payments are reimbursements for the cost of caring for the child, not taxable income, and the exact figure depends on the child’s assessed level of care, the placement type, and whether a licensed agency is involved.
Monthly Rates by Level of Care
California assigns each foster placement one of four Level of Care (LOC) tiers based on the child’s care needs — not the child’s age. A county social worker uses a standardized assessment tool at placement and can reassess as needs change. For fiscal year 2025–2026 (effective July 1, 2025), the state set the following Resource Family Home rates after a 3.42 percent California Necessities Index increase:1California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 25-45 – Foster Care Rates FY 2025-26
- LOC Basic: $1,301 per month
- LOC 2: $1,447 per month
- LOC 3: $1,596 per month
- LOC 4: $1,741 per month
LOC Basic covers children whose needs fall within standard parenting. LOC 2 through 4 reflect increasing behavioral, emotional, or medical support the caregiver provides day to day. Rates adjust each year using the California Necessities Index, which tracks the cost of basic household necessities.
Higher Rates Through a Foster Family Agency
If the child is placed through a licensed Foster Family Agency (FFA) rather than directly by the county, the total monthly payment is larger because it also funds the agency’s case management, training, and support services. For FY 2025–2026, FFA total rates are:1California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 25-45 – Foster Care Rates FY 2025-26
- LOC Basic: $2,617 per month
- LOC 2: $2,809 per month
- LOC 3: $3,004 per month
- LOC 4: $3,231 per month
Of each FFA total, $1,316 is the agency’s administrative rate. The caregiver’s share tracks the LOC rate paid to a Resource Family Home. Some FFA placements made before December 2017 still use an age-based rate schedule instead of LOC tiers.
Intensive Services Foster Care
Children with complex trauma, serious behavioral challenges, or significant medical needs may qualify for Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC), which allows youth who might otherwise need institutional placement to live in a family setting with wraparound support. For FY 2025–2026, the ISFC Resource Family Home rate is $3,396 per month, and the ISFC rate through an FFA is $7,078 per month.1California Department of Social Services. All County Letter 25-45 – Foster Care Rates FY 2025-26
ISFC uses a team-based model in which the caregiver works alongside a mental health provider, a social worker, and other professionals. The higher payment reflects both the intensity of daily caregiving and the services attached to the placement.
Payments for Relative Caregivers
Relatives caring for a foster child do not automatically receive the standard foster care rate. When a relative placement does not qualify for federal foster care funding, the Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) Funding Option Program pays the caregiver an amount equal to the basic foster care rate — $1,301 per month at LOC Basic for FY 2025–2026.2California Department of Social Services. Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) Funding Option Program
Without ARC, many relative caregivers would receive only CalWORKs payments, which are lower. The program brings relatives up to parity with non-relative resource families at the basic level.
Kin-GAP Guardianship Payments
When a relative takes legal guardianship through the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment (Kin-GAP) program, the monthly amount depends on when the guardianship was established. Kin-GAP cases using the LOC structure pay the same tiers as other foster placements: $1,301 at LOC Basic up to $1,741 at LOC 4. Older Kin-GAP cases where the child’s dependency was previously dismissed use age-based rates from $757 to $1,294 per month.
Extended Foster Care for Ages 18 to 21
Under California’s Extended Foster Care program, youth who turn 18 can continue receiving support until age 21 as non-minor dependents (NMDs), provided they are working, in school, or in an approved activity. The payment depends on the placement type.
NMDs in a Supervised Independent Living Placement (SILP) receive the LOC Basic rate of $1,301 per month, paid directly to the youth. Parenting NMDs in a SILP can also receive a $900 monthly infant supplement for each child living with them. Specialized care increments are not available in a SILP.
The Transitional Housing Program for Non-Minor Dependents (THP-NMD) pays substantially more because it covers housing and program services along with case management. Rates vary by county and housing model, and additional supplements are available for parenting NMDs. Your county’s independent living coordinator can share the current THP-NMD rate for your area.
Additional Payments Beyond the Monthly Rate
Several extras sit on top of the LOC payment.
Counties provide an initial clothing allowance when a child first enters the home, plus an annual clothing supplement. These amounts are set at the county level. Initial allowances typically fall in a range of roughly $120 to $415, depending on where you live and the child’s age. Your caseworker can confirm the current figures.
Foster children have the right to remain in their school of origin after a placement change, and resource families can be reimbursed monthly for transporting the child there, based on one-way distance. Counties may also cover public transit passes.
Resource families caring for young children can apply for the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program, which issues time-limited vouchers for child care costs. The program serves children from birth through age 12, and youth with exceptional needs up to age 21. Vouchers run for an initial six months and can be renewed for another six while the family transitions to longer-term subsidized care; some counties extend eligibility beyond 12 months at their discretion. A child care navigator through your local Resource and Referral agency helps you find a provider.3California Department of Social Services. Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children
Medi-Cal Covers the Child’s Health Care
Every child in California foster care receives full Medi-Cal at no cost to the caregiver, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health services. You do not need to add the child to private insurance.4CA.gov. Foster Care
Youth who age out of foster care at 18 or older keep Medi-Cal until age 26, regardless of income, and enrollment continues automatically for those already covered.5DHCS. Former Foster Youth Program
Foster Care Payments Are Not Taxable
Under federal law, qualified foster care payments — including the basic reimbursement and difficulty-of-care amounts for children with additional needs — are excluded from gross income.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments
You do not report the payments on your federal return, and they do not count as earned income. This applies regardless of the LOC tier or how many children you care for. If you receive a Form 1099 for foster care payments in error, you can still exclude the income by referencing the federal exclusion when you file.
When Payments Arrive Each Month
California pays in arrears: you receive the payment the month after care was provided. State policy requires payment no later than the 15th calendar day of the following month. Most counties issue foster care payments between the 8th and 10th, while Kin-GAP and Adoption Assistance payments typically arrive by the 1st.
You can choose direct deposit or a paper check, and many counties offer an online portal to view payment history. If a payment is late, contact your county’s fiscal department or your eligibility worker with the child’s case number and placement date.