Kinship Foster Care in Georgia: Payments, Requirements, and Getting Licensed

Kinship placements happen fast. A phone call from DFCS telling you that your grandchild, niece, nephew, or a child you have known for years is being removed — and asking whether you can take them tonight. Most grandparents and relatives who say yes have no idea what they just entered.

Understanding how Georgia's kinship foster care system works, what you are entitled to, and what you must do to secure licensed status (and its financial protections) is not optional. It is urgent.

Two Tiers of Kinship Care in Georgia

Georgia distinguishes between two types of relative and kinship placements:

1. Unlicensed Relative (Emergency) Placement When DFCS needs an immediate placement with a relative, they may place a child in your home before you are licensed. You receive a lower, unlicensed relative rate during this period. The child is safe and placed with family, but you are operating without the full financial and legal protections of a licensed foster parent.

2. Licensed Kinship Foster Home You go through the same DFCS licensing process as any other foster family — NTDC training, SAFE home study, background checks. Once licensed, you receive the Enhanced Relative Rate (ERR), which is higher than the unlicensed rate, and you gain the legal standing of a licensed foster parent under the Foster Parent Bill of Rights.

If you are caring for a relative's child right now under an unlicensed arrangement, the most important thing you can do is start the licensing process immediately.

Georgia's Definition of "Kinship"

Georgia defines kinship broadly. Eligible caregivers include:

• Biological relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, cousins)
• Relatives by marriage (step-grandparents, in-laws)
• "Fictive kin" — individuals who have a pre-existing, substantial relationship with the child and family, even without a blood or legal connection

DFCS policy prioritizes kinship placements when a child must be removed from their birth home. Before placing a child with an unrelated foster family, workers are expected to search for and contact known relatives.

Payments for Licensed Kinship Foster Parents

Once licensed, kinship foster parents receive the same base per diem as traditional foster parents. For FY2025 (effective July 1, 2024):

These are base rates for traditional placements. If the child has behavioral or therapeutic needs, additional rates apply.

As with all foster placements, expect the first payment approximately 45 days after placement begins. If you took an emergency kinship placement immediately, you may be several weeks into caring for a child before any payment arrives. Know this in advance.

All children in Georgia foster care, including kinship placements, are enrolled in PeachCare for Kids (Medicaid) through Amerigroup at no cost to you. Medical, dental, and psychological services are covered.

What Grandparents Need to Know

Grandparent caregivers face a particular set of challenges that younger foster parents typically do not:

Physical exam requirements: All household members must undergo a physical exam within 12 months. If your own health conditions are a concern, have a frank conversation with your licensing worker — the standard is fitness to care for a child, not perfect health.

Financial disclosure: Grandparents on fixed incomes (Social Security, pension) are not automatically disqualified. The standard is whether your existing income covers your existing expenses before adding a foster child.

Age: Georgia does not set a maximum age limit for foster parents. The 10-year generational gap rule applies, but this is generally not a barrier for grandparents.

Background checks: Every adult in the household, including other adult children living with you, must clear background checks. If an adult household member has a criminal history — even a non-violent one — you need to address this early in the process, as it can delay or complicate approval.

The Path to Adoption for Kinship Caregivers

Many kinship foster parents eventually adopt the children in their care. If a child's parents are unable to complete their case plan and parental rights are terminated, kinship caregivers with an established relationship have strong standing in the adoption process.

Georgia's Foster Parent Bill of Rights (OCGA §49-5-281) provides that foster parents who have cared for a child for 12 or more consecutive months are considered first choice for adoption. For kinship caregivers, this is often a natural continuation of a bond that predates the foster care placement.

If adoption is your eventual goal, discuss it early with your DFCS worker. The concurrent plan — the secondary permanency plan developed alongside reunification — should reflect your family's intent. An adoption subsidy may be available, particularly if the child has special needs as defined by Georgia policy.

Kinship placements are fast, emotional, and procedurally uncharted for most families. The Georgia Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a dedicated kinship track — covering emergency placement rights, the ERR application process, home licensing requirements for relative caregivers, and the adoption pathway when reunification does not succeed.

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