Grants for Foster Care

Title IV-E Foster Care Program

The primary federal funding source for foster care, providing partial reimbursement to states, territories, and tribes for the cost of providing foster care to eligible children. The program covers maintenance payments, case management, administrative costs, and training.

• Maintenance Payments: Federal matching funds (FMAP rate 50-83%) for monthly foster care payments
• Administrative Costs: 50% federal match for case management, eligibility determination, placement services
• Training: 75% federal match for foster parent training, child welfare worker training, and professional development
• Data Systems: Enhanced 50% match for CCWIS implementation and operation

2023 Caseload: 726,900 children received Title IV-E assistance monthly (121,600 in foster care, 560,200 adopted, 45,200 in guardianship).

Title IV-E Adoption Assistance

Monthly subsidies and support services for families who adopt eligible children from foster care, particularly children with special needs who would not be adopted without financial assistance.

• Monthly Payments: Ongoing subsidies (typically matching foster care rate) for adopted children with special needs
• Medical Assistance: Medicaid coverage through Title XIX for eligible adopted children
• Nonrecurring Adoption Expenses: Up to $2,000 reimbursement for one-time adoption costs (legal, court, placement fees)
• Post-Adoption Services: Counseling, training, respite care, and support groups for adoptive families

Eligibility: Child must meet special needs determination (age, medical condition, sibling group, or difficulty placing) and cannot return home safely.

Title IV-E Kinship Guardianship Assistance

Ongoing subsidies for eligible children placed with legal relative guardians when returning home is not possible and adoption is not appropriate.

• Guardianship Payments: Monthly subsidies comparable to foster care payments for qualifying kinship placements
• Medical Coverage: Medicaid eligibility for children receiving guardianship assistance
• Nonrecurring Expenses: Up to $2,000 for one-time legal costs associated with establishing guardianship
• Support Services: Post-guardianship counseling, respite care, and family support services

Requirements: Child must have lived with relative for 6+ consecutive months, relative must be licensed foster parent, and court must award legal guardianship.

Title IV-B Child Welfare Services

Formula grants supporting comprehensive child and family services focused on preventing maltreatment and keeping families safely together.

• Child Welfare Services (CWS): Services protecting and promoting welfare of children, preventing abuse/neglect, family preservation
• Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF): Family support, family preservation, time-limited reunification, adoption promotion services
• 2026 Funding Increase: Supporting America's Children and Families Act (P.L. 118-258) increases mandatory PSSF by $75M for FY2026, extends through FY2029
• Services: Parenting classes, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, crisis intervention, respite care

Chafee Foster Care Program

Supports current and former foster youth (ages 14-23) transitioning to independent adulthood through education, employment, housing, and life skills services.

• Independent Living Services: Life skills training (budgeting, housing, employment, health, relationships)
• Education & Training Vouchers (ETV): Up to $5,000 annually for post-secondary education and career training
• Housing Assistance: Room and board for youth 18-21 in supervised independent living settings
• Educational Support: Scholarships, tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, college/career counseling, mentorship
• Employment Programs: Job training, internships, career counseling, workplace skills development

Funding: $143 million annual federal appropriation distributed to states via formula grants. Many states use Chafee funds as educational scholarships for qualifying youth.

Foster Parent Training & Recruitment

Specialized funding supporting foster parent training, recruitment, retention, and support services to ensure safe, high-quality placements.

• Pre-Service Training: Required initial training (often 27-30 hours) covering child development, trauma, attachment, behavior management
• Ongoing Training: Annual continuing education requirements (typically 12-24 hours) with 75% federal match through Title IV-E
• Specialized Training: Trauma-informed care, therapeutic parenting, cultural competency, LGBTQ+ youth support, medical needs
• Recruitment Grants: Targeted recruitment for underrepresented communities, kinship caregivers, older youth placements, sibling groups
• Respite Care: Short-term relief childcare allowing foster parents time for self-care and preventing burnout

Family First Prevention Services

Evidence-based prevention services to prevent children from entering foster care by providing mental health, substance abuse, and in-home parenting support.

• Mental Health Services: Clinical therapy, counseling, crisis intervention for children/families at risk of foster care entry
• Substance Abuse Treatment: Residential and outpatient treatment programs for parents with substance use disorders
• In-Home Parenting Programs: Evidence-based models (SafeCare, Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Families America)
• Kinship Navigator Programs: Support services helping relative caregivers navigate legal, financial, and social service systems
• Title IV-E Prevention: Federal reimbursement for evidence-based programs preventing foster care placement

Family First Act: Prioritizes family-based placements over congregate care, invests in prevention services, and restricts federal reimbursement for non-therapeutic group homes.