Idaho Foster Care Board Rates and Payments: What Foster Parents Receive

One of the first questions families ask about fostering is what the financial support looks like — not because money is the motivation, but because caring for a child costs money and families want to know what they're working with. The honest answer is that Idaho's board rates are modest, they're designed to cover basic child-rearing costs rather than compensate foster parents for their labor, and anyone going into fostering expecting to come out ahead financially will be disappointed.

That said, the financial picture in Idaho is more complete than the base board rate suggests. Here's what foster parents actually receive.

Monthly Board Rates (2025–2026)

Idaho structures its monthly reimbursements — called "board rates" — by the child's age and level of care. These rates are intended to cover food, clothing, personal care items, and basic incidentals for the child.

Regular foster care:

• Ages 0–5: $664 per month
• Ages 6–12: $737 per month
• Ages 13–17: $797 per month
• Ages 18–22 (Extended Foster Care): $920 per month

Specialized care (children with chronic medical needs or behavioral challenges exceeding regular care standards):

Each specialized care child receives the regular rate for their age plus a monthly add-on. The add-on is tiered based on the intensity of need:

• Level 1 add-on: +$90 per month
• Level 2 add-on: +$150 per month
• Level 3 add-on: +$240 per month

Treatment Foster Care (TFC) for youth diagnosed with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) is reimbursed at approximately $200 per day — a significantly higher rate that reflects the professional-level therapeutic demands placed on TFC families and the 24/7 availability they're expected to maintain.

How Idaho's Rates Compare to Neighboring States

Idaho's regular board rates are on the lower end among western states. Washington, Oregon, and California all pay significantly higher monthly amounts, which is a point of frustration for families who relocated from those states and expected a comparable support structure.

The practical implication: fostering in Idaho at the regular care level typically doesn't "break even" in a strict accounting sense. Families who have fostered in other states sometimes experience sticker shock at the Idaho rates. The board rate covers the basics — food, routine clothing, incidentals — but it doesn't account for your time, your driving, or incidental expenses that fall outside the category of "child-rearing costs."

If covering costs fully is a concern, pursuing specialized or therapeutic placements through agencies like Clarvida or the Idaho Youth Ranch comes with substantially higher reimbursement, though the care requirements are correspondingly more demanding.

Medicaid Coverage for Foster Children

Every child in Idaho foster care is automatically enrolled in Idaho Medicaid, which covers:

• Medical care, including routine well-child visits and sick visits
• Dental care
• Vision care
• Behavioral health services, including therapy and psychiatric care
• Prescription medications

You do not pay out of pocket for medical services for the child in your care. Medicaid serves as the primary (and usually only) insurance coverage for foster children. For children with significant health needs, this is often one of the most meaningful components of the financial support package — a medically complex child who requires regular specialist appointments generates costs that would be substantial under private insurance.

The important caveat: Idaho has been navigating a transition toward a Medicaid Managed Care model, with full implementation delayed to 2030. Providers have already seen a 4% reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates, which in practice means some specialists are less willing to accept Medicaid patients than they were previously. This can make it harder to find providers for children who need specialized care. Your DHW caseworker can help connect you with providers who accept Medicaid in your area.

One-Time and Additional Financial Supports

Clothing allowance: When a child first enters your home, DHW provides a one-time clothing allowance to cover immediate needs. The amount varies based on the child's age and circumstances.

Daycare assistance: If you're employed and need childcare for a foster child during work hours, the department may assist with daycare costs. This isn't guaranteed and depends on regional resources, so it's worth asking your licensing worker specifically about what's available in your area.

Respite reimbursement: When you use a licensed respite provider for a short-term break, the respite family is reimbursed at a daily rate based on the child's age. This comes from the state, not from your board rate.

Adoption assistance: Families who foster and later adopt a child from care may be eligible for ongoing adoption assistance payments, Medicaid continuation until the child turns 18, and reimbursement of up to $2,000 in nonrecurring adoption expenses (legal fees, court costs, home study fees). These are negotiated at the time of adoption finalization and are not automatic — you need to ask.

What IDFAPA Provides

The Idaho Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (IDFAPA) operates what they call "Village" closets in each of the seven DHW regions. These are physical resource spaces stocked with donated clothing in all sizes, beds and bedding, car seats, baby equipment, and other supplies for children entering care.

When a child arrives at your home — sometimes with little more than what they were wearing — the Village is often where foster parents go within the first 24 to 48 hours. This isn't a financial payment, but it functions as a meaningful in-kind support that reduces the out-of-pocket costs of a new placement.

IDFAPA also connects foster parents with Resource Peer Mentors and advocates at the regional level when disputes with DHW arise. If you have a billing or payment problem — a board rate that hasn't been updated to reflect a level-of-care change, for example — IDFAPA is often more effective at resolving it than calling DHW directly.

A Note on Tax Treatment

Foster care board rates in Idaho are generally not considered taxable income by the IRS, provided the payments represent reimbursement for the cost of the child's care rather than compensation for your services. This is one of the distinctions the IRS uses between regular foster care payments (not taxable) and therapeutic foster care payments from a private agency (which may be taxable, depending on how the agency classifies them).

This is an area where specifics matter, and if you have any doubt about your situation, a tax preparer familiar with foster care is worth consulting. The general rule holds for most families, but edge cases exist — particularly for TFC families receiving agency payments and for families who receive both board rates and adoption assistance in the same tax year.

The Financial Calculation

Being realistic about the finances going in means you won't be surprised or feel misled. Regular foster care in Idaho will not fully reimburse you for every cost associated with the child's care, especially if you factor in the value of your time. Specialized and therapeutic care comes closer to cost-neutral and in some cases crosses into meaningful compensation.

For most foster families, the financial dimension is secondary to the reasons they chose to foster. But going in with accurate expectations — rather than an inflated sense of what the board rate covers — helps you make sound decisions about which type of care you're positioned to provide.

The Idaho Foster Care Licensing Guide includes the current board rate tables, a breakdown of available financial supports by region, and guidance on negotiating adoption assistance for families considering the foster-to-adopt pathway.

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