2020 Exceptional Rate Foster Care Subsidy Payments
New York State Foster Care Boarding Rates
Foster parents are entitled to a monthly payment allowance intended to help them cover a portion of the costs incurred by caring for children in their home.
Each county’s individual annual board rate is set according to the child’s age and level of care needed. Within 30 days of placement, your local agency may designate the child’s needs as basic, special or exceptional. A designation can be changed at any point during placement as the child’s needs change.
To receive special or exceptional foster care payments, you will need to show your ability to care for children with special or exceptional needs through past training/experience or by completing special training. You will need to participate in agency training every year and actively partake in case conferences. You must be able to work with the professionals involved in the child’s treatment plan, and to accept assistance and guidance in caring for the child.
Special and exceptional rates need to be approved by the local department of social services. Either a caseworker or a foster parent can submit a request for the special or exceptional rate. If the level of difficulty changes (decreases or increases) due to the child’s need for care and supervision, the board rate will also change. The services expected of the foster parents will also change.
As each local district is allowed to set its own rates within state guidelines, every county’s individual annual board rate is set according to the child’s age. All current rate information has been provided directly by the county to the Coalition. Those counties who have not responded with updated data have been indicated with “na”. Rates are daily unless otherwise noted.
Exceptional Rate Chart: Foster Care Subsidy Payments By County
| COUNTY | age 0-3 | age 4 -5 | age 6-11 | age 12-15 | age 16 -21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Allegany | None | None | None | None | None |
| Broome | $70.57 | $70.57 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Cattaraugus | $57.24 | $57.24 | $57.24 | $57.24 | $57.24 |
| Cayuga | $60.43 | $58.54 | $59.02 | $59.96 | $60.55 |
| Chautauqua | na | na | na | na | na |
| Chemung | $48.87 | $46.88 | $46.88 | $46.88 | $46.88 |
| Chenango | na | na | na | na | na |
| Clinton | $49.64 | $49.64 | $54.62 | $58.91 | $58.91 |
| Columbia | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 |
| Cortland | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 |
| Delaware | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 |
| Dutchess | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Erie | $31.76 | $29.92 | $35.88 | $41.67 | $41.67 |
| Essex | na | na | na | na | na |
| Franklin | na | na | na | na | na |
| Fulton | $41.26 | $41.26 | $39.59 | $39.59 | $39.59 |
| Genesee | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 | $31.69 |
| Greene | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 |
| Hamilton | $72.99 | $72.99 | $72.99 | $72.99 | $72.99 |
| Herkimer | $28.02 | $28.02 | $30.32 | $33.79 | $33.79 |
| Jefferson | $53.18 | $53.18 | $53.18 | $53.18 | $53.18 |
| Lewis | $45.74 | $45.74 | $45.74 | $45.74 | $45.74 |
| Livingston | na | na | na | na | na |
| Madison | $40.14 | $40.14 | $40.14 | $40.14 | $40.14 |
| Monroe | na | na | na | na | na |
| Montgomery | $34.82 | $34.82 | $34.82 | $34.82 | $34.82 |
| Nassau | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| NYC: Bronx, Brooklyn Queens, Manhattan & Staten Island | $64.21 | $64.21 | $64.21 | $64.21 | $64.21 |
| Niagara | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Oneida | na | na | na | na | na |
| Onondaga | 70.57 | 68.45 | 68.45 | 68.45 | 68.45 |
| Ontario | $60.32 | $60.32 | $60.32 | $60.32 | $60.32 |
| Orange | $53.65 | $53.65 | $53.65 | $53.65 | $53.65 |
| Orleans | $39.99 | $39.99 | $39.99 | $39.99 | $39.99 |
| Oswego | $54.11 | $54.11 | $54.11 | $54.11 | $54.11 |
| Otsego | na | na | na | na | na |
| Putnam | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 | $70.49 |
| Rensselaer | na | na | na | na | na |
| Rockland | $70.57 | $70.57 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Saratoga | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Schenectady- min | $55.51 | $55.51 | $55.51 | $55.51 | $55.51 |
| Schoharie* | $799.65 | $799.65 | $889.79 | $979.72 | $979.72 |
| Schuyler | $49.17 | $49.17 | $49.17 | $49.17 | $49.17 |
| Seneca | $42.31 | $42.31 | $43.98 | $48.75 | $48.75 |
| St. Lawrence | $31.43 | $31.43 | $31.43 | $31.43 | $31.43 |
| Steuben | $31.18 | $31.18 | $31.18 | $31.18 | $31.18 |
| Suffolk | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Sullivan* | $2,220.00 | $2,220.00 | $2,220.00 | $2,220.00 | $2,220.00 |
| Tioga | $68.95 | $68.95 | $68.95 | $68.95 | $68.95 |
| Tompkins | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 |
| Ulster | $70.57 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Warren | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 | $68.45 |
| Washington | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 | $66.28 |
| Wayne | $50.26 | $50.26 | $50.26 | $50.26 | $50.26 |
| Westchester: LV 1 | $67.31 | $66.32 | $65.76 | $66.62 | $67.15 |
| Wyoming | $26.21 | $26.21 | $26.21 | $26.21 | $26.21 |
| Yates | na | na | na | na | na |
| * monthly rate |
Pursuant to New York State Department of Social Services regulations, Sections 427.2, 427.6, and 427.15. The regulations were effective August 1990.
The foster care subsidy exceptional rate is applicable for a child who:
- requires, as certified by a physician, 24-hour a day care provided by qualified nurses or persons supervised by qualified nurses; or
- has severe behavior problems characterized by the infliction of violence on themselves, other persons or their physical surroundings, and who has been certified by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist as requiring high levels of individual supervision in the home; or
- has been diagnosed by a qualified physician as having severe mental illness, such as child schizophrenia, severe developmental disabilities, brain damage or autism; or
- has been diagnosed by a physician as having AIDS or HIV-related illness. If a child tests positive for HIV infection then seroconverts to negative, the child remains eligible for the exceptional rate for one year. After that, eligibility depends on meeting one of the other conditions; or
- has an equivalent condition as determined by the local commissioner.
To receive the exceptional rate, adoptive or foster parents must participate in at least 5 hours of training per year, actively participate in case conferences, and have the necessary training and background to care for the child.
Additional 2020 New York State Foster Care Boarding Rate County Charts
Additional 2020 county rate charts for the other foster care payment categories as well as the clothing and diaper allowances can be found below.
All current rate information has been provided directly by the county to the Coalition as part of the “Foster Care Subsidy Rate Update Project”.
Don’t see your county listed? Give them a call and ask them to please participate. Every county has been contacted multiple times since the summer of 2019 with requests for the updated boarding rate and foster care subsidy information. Counties may provide updated information by downloading this form Subsidy Rate Questions 2020 form and providing the current rate information as requested. Completed forms may be faxed, emailed or sent via post. If you have any additions or corrections, please let us know at info@affcny.org.