How Much Do Foster Parents Get Paid in Oregon?

The question matters, but it needs to be framed correctly before looking at numbers. Oregon's foster care payments are maintenance payments — they are designed to cover the direct costs of raising a child in your home, not to compensate you for your time. Most experienced resource parents in Oregon say the payments cover actual child-related expenses reasonably well, but that viewing the income as profit leads to disappointment. With that framing in place, here are the actual numbers.

Base Monthly Maintenance Rates (2024–2025)

Oregon's base rate is determined by the age of the child placed in your home. These figures come from ODHS foster care rate documentation:

These payments are tax-free. They are intended to cover food, clothing, shelter costs attributable to the child, transportation, and other daily expenses. They are not wages.

Oregon also has a Shelter Care rate that applies during the first 20 days of an emergency placement before a full case plan is established:

Supplemental Payments for Higher-Needs Placements

Many children placed in foster care have needs that exceed what the base rate covers. Oregon uses a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment to determine the child's Level of Care. Higher levels trigger additional monthly payments:

CANS Enhanced Supervision supplements:

• Level 1: +$240 per month
• Level 2: +$468 per month
• Level 3: +$960 per month

Personal Care Services (for children requiring physical assistance with hygiene, feeding, or mobility):

• Level 1: $352 per month
• Level 2: $705 per month
• Level 3: $1,057 per month

A child with Level 3 enhanced supervision and Level 3 personal care services could generate a combined monthly payment of over $3,000. These cases are also significantly more demanding in terms of care requirements.

The Clothing Allowance

Oregon provides a clothing voucher of up to $600 per child, per calendar year. This covers initial placement clothing needs and seasonal wardrobe transitions. The voucher is separate from the monthly maintenance payment and is typically issued through your certifier.

Respite Care Reimbursement

If you are a certified respite provider — meaning you provide short-term relief care so full-time foster families can take breaks — the standard reimbursement rate is $55 per day. Respite care certification is a separate designation from full resource home certification, and some families use it as an entry point into foster care before committing to full-time placements.

Therapeutic Foster Care Rates

Oregon also certifies Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) homes through private agencies such as Oregon Community Programs (OCP) and Clarvida Oregon. These placements involve children with higher-level behavioral or mental health needs, and they come with higher reimbursement rates. The specific TFC rates are set by each contracting agency within state guidelines and are generally higher than ODHS base rates — they are also paired with more intensive training requirements and clinical supervision.

What Payments Do Not Cover

The monthly maintenance payment does not cover:

• The resource parent's own time, labor, or "wage" for caregiving
• Professional services the foster parent seeks independently (private therapy, tutoring)
• Travel for the resource parent's personal activities
• Home modifications beyond standard safety requirements

Oregon provides mileage reimbursement specifically for transporting a child to their school of origin under ORS 329A.250. If you are driving a child back to their original school to maintain educational stability, document those miles — you are entitled to reimbursement.

Health Coverage Is Not Your Cost

All children in Oregon foster care are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), which provides comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage. You pay nothing for this. Healthcare costs for a foster child do not come out of your maintenance payment. This is one of the most significant financial benefits of the Oregon system compared to what resource parents in other states report.

Is There Financial Support for You as a Resource Parent?

Oregon does not pay salaries to resource parents. The maintenance payments belong to the child's care. However, resource parents are eligible for certain income tax considerations — the maintenance payments are generally excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes, and the foster child may qualify as a dependent in some circumstances. Consult a tax professional on specifics, as eligibility depends on the length and nature of the placement.

The Oregon Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a breakdown of all payment categories, what the CANS assessment process looks like in practice, and how to track and document expenses correctly during a placement.

See more United States guides →