Delaware Foster Care Board Rates and Payment Guide

Let's address the question everyone researches but few feel comfortable asking out loud: what's the actual financial picture of fostering in Delaware? The short answer is that board payments are reimbursements for the child's care, not a salary — and DFS requires you to prove you can cover your own bills before you'll ever see a check. But understanding the numbers matters because they determine whether you can afford to say yes when a child needs a home.

2025 Daily Board Rates by Level of Care

Delaware uses a "Level of Care" (LOC) system that ties payment to the intensity of the child's needs. The 2025 rates reflect a 2.5% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) applied by DFS following the Social Security Administration's January 2025 announcement.

Traditional Care (LOC 0): $13.04 per day for ages 0-9, $14.84 per day for ages 10-15, and $16.79 per day for ages 16 and older.

LOC 1 (Mild additional needs): $15.04, $16.84, and $18.79 per day respectively.

LOC 2 (Moderate needs): $16.04, $17.84, and $19.79 per day.

LOC 3 (Significant needs): $17.04, $18.84, and $20.79 per day.

For a traditional placement of a child under 10, that translates to roughly $391 per month. An older teen at LOC 0 comes to about $503 per month, while a teen at LOC 3 reaches approximately $624 per month. These rates are designed to cover food, clothing maintenance, personal items, and daily living costs for the child.

Specialized and Therapeutic Rates

Children with extreme medical or behavioral health needs may be placed in specialized "Foster Parent Tier" homes (GTF 3-5), which carry daily stipends ranging from $35 to $55 per day. That's $1,050 to $1,650 per month — substantially more than traditional rates, reflecting the fact that therapeutic foster parents provide care comparable to what a group home or residential facility would deliver. Qualifying for these rates requires additional training and certification beyond the standard license.

Most public-facing materials only reference the 2009 base rate schedule, which leaves prospective parents confused about current numbers. The rates above reflect COLA adjustments through 2025, and a projected 2.8% COLA for 2026 would bring the base LOC 0 rate for ages 0-9 to approximately $13.41 per day.

Clothing and One-Time Allowances

On top of the daily board rate, Delaware provides several supplementary payments.

Daily Clothing Allowance: $1.61 per day for ages 0-9, $2.01 for ages 10-15, and $2.91 for ages 16+. This is built into your regular payment and covers ongoing wardrobe maintenance — not a separate check.

Initial Clothing Payment: A one-time amount when a child first enters your home — $120.17 for ages 0-9, $148.84 for ages 10-15, and $211.05 for ages 16+. This covers the immediate need for a child who may arrive with nothing more than the clothes they're wearing. Some children enter care with literally a plastic bag of belongings; this payment exists to address that reality.

Daily Incidental Allowance: $0.41 to $1.58 depending on age, covering small personal expenses like school supplies, toiletries, and activity fees.

Medicaid Through the Diamond State Health Plan

Every foster child in Delaware is automatically enrolled in the Diamond State Health Plan (DSHP), a managed care Medicaid program. Under the latest 1115 Waiver extension running through 2029, coverage includes standard medical, dental, and vision care; behavioral health services including therapy and psychiatric care; pediatric respite care for children with physical or behavioral conditions; and coverage for up to 80 diapers per week plus baby wipes for infants.

As of January 2025, children's dental has transitioned from fee-for-service to the managed care model for better coordination of care. Two major managed care organizations — Highmark Health Options and AmeriHealth Caritas Delaware — serve as the primary DSHP providers.

You will not pay medical bills for a foster child. The DSHP card covers everything from routine checkups to emergency care to mental health treatment. This is one of the most significant financial protections in the foster care system and continues through the Diamond State Health Plan 24/7 hotline for urgent medical questions.

Additional Financial Supports

Education Vouchers (ETV): Youth age 16 and older transitioning out of care may qualify for up to $5,000 per year in post-secondary education assistance through the Education and Training Voucher program run by the Fostering Independence Through Education initiative.

Mileage and Transportation: DFS reimburses for transportation to required appointments, court hearings, and family visits in certain cases.

Monthly Payment Projections: For reference, the total base-level monthly support (including sponsor rate and personal needs allowance) was approximately $1,107 for 2025 and is projected at $1,134 for 2026.

The Financial Reality Check

Here's what the numbers mean in practice: the board rate will not make you money. For a traditional placement, the daily rate barely covers food and basic supplies for a growing child. The clothing allowance is meant to keep a child in weather-appropriate clothes, not build a wardrobe. If you're considering fostering because you've heard "the state pays you," recalibrate your expectations. DFS explicitly requires that applicants demonstrate financial independence from the board rate during the licensing process.

What the financial supports do accomplish is ensuring you're not significantly out of pocket for a child's basic needs. Combined with full Medicaid coverage, the package means fostering shouldn't cost you money — it just won't be a source of income.

For a complete breakdown of payment timelines, how to read your DFS payment statements, the full rate schedule including emergency and respite placements, and tax implications of board payments, our Delaware Foster Care Licensing Guide covers every dollar in detail.

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