2020 Special 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.
Special 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 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Allegany | $28.74 | $28.74 | $28.74 | $28.74 | $28.74 |
| Broome | $47.29 | $47.29 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Cattaraugus: Untrained | $25.76 | $25.76 | $28.16 | $30.74 | $30.74 |
| Cattaraugus: Trained | $28.16 | $28.16 | $30.92 | $34.05 | $34.05 |
| Cayuga | $41.61 | $39.57 | $40.05 | $40.99 | $41.58 |
| Chautauqua | na | na | na | na | na |
| Chemung | $34.24 | $32.25 | $32.25 | $32.25 | $32.25 |
| Chenango | na | na | na | na | na |
| Clinton- Level 1 | $22.03 | $22.03 | $25.64 | $25.64 | $25.64 |
| Clinton- Level 2 | $27.87 | $27.87 | $28.99 | $28.99 | $28.99 |
| Clinton-Level 3 | $34.56 | $34.56 | $37.89 | $37.89 | $37.89 |
| Columbia | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 |
| Cortland | $22.00 | $22.00 | $25.32 | $28.62 | $28.62 |
| Delaware | na | na | na | na | na |
| Dutchess | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Erie | $24.27 | $22.44 | $26.92 | $31.12 | $31.12 |
| Essex | na | na | na | na | na |
| Franklin | na | na | na | na | na |
| Fulton | $25.41 | $25.41 | $23.74 | $23.74 | $23.74 |
| Genesee | $23.19 | $23.19 | $23.19 | $23.19 | $23.19 |
| Greene | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 |
| Hamilton | $48.16 | $48.16 | $48.16 | $48.16 | $48.16 |
| Herkimer | $21.09 | $21.09 | $23.40 | $28.02 | $28.02 |
| Jefferson | $39.07 | $39.07 | $39.07 | $39.07 | $39.07 |
| Lewis | $30.21 | $30.21 | $30.21 | $30.21 | $30.21 |
| Livingston | na | na | na | na | na |
| Madison | $32.36 | $32.36 | $32.36 | $32.36 | $32.36 |
| Monroe | na | na | na | na | na |
| Montgomery | $27.87 | $27.87 | $27.87 | $27.87 | $27.87 |
| Nassau | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| NYC: Bronx, Brooklyn Queens, Manhattan & Staten Island | $42.38 | $42.38 | $42.38 | $42.38 | $42.38 |
| Niagara | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Oneida | na | na | na | na | na |
| Onondaga | $47.29 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Ontario | $40.92 | $40.92 | $40.92 | $40.92 | $40.92 |
| Orange | $32.66 | $32.66 | $33.62 | $34.48 | $34.48 |
| Orleans | $28.89 | $28.89 | $28.89 | $28.89 | $28.89 |
| Oswego | $24.75 | $24.75 | $27.25 | $30.95 | $30.95 |
| Otsego | na | na | na | na | na |
| Putnam | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 | $46.52 |
| Rensselaer | na | na | na | na | na |
| Rockland | $47.29 | $47.29 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Saratoga | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Schenectady- min | $25.89 | $27.50 | $28.94 | $28.94 | $28.94 |
| Schenectady- max | $36.64 | $36.64 | $36.64 | $36.64 | $36.64 |
| Schoharie* | $680.42 | $680.42 | $770.76 | $860.79 | $860.79 |
| Schuyler | $31.96 | $31.96 | $31.96 | $31.96 | $31.96 |
| Seneca | $29.46 | $29.46 | $31.33 | $36.72 | $36.72 |
| St. Lawrence | $21.64 | $21.64 | $22.03 | $22.62 | $22.62 |
| Steuben | $23.92 | $23.92 | $23.92 | $23.92 | $23.92 |
| Suffolk | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Sullivan* | $1465.00 | $1465.00 | $1465.00 | $1465.00 | $1465.00 |
| Tioga | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Tompkins | $45.81 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 |
| Ulster | $47.29 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Warren | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 | $45.17 |
| Washington | $45.81 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 | $43.76 |
| Wayne | $33.85 | $33.85 | $33.85 | $33.85 | $33.85 |
| Westchester: LV 1 | $33.85 | $31.86 | $32.55 | $34.63 | $35.16 |
| Westchester: LV 2 | $38.64 | $36.65 | $37.16 | $39.26 | $39.79 |
| Westchester: LV 3 | $45.48 | $43.49 | $43.93 | $44.79 | $45.32 |
| Wyoming | $22.16 | $22.16 | $22.16 | $22.16 | $22.16 |
| 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 special rate is applicable for a child who:
- suffers from pronounced physical conditions and a physician certifies that the child requires a high degree of physical care; or
- is awaiting a family court hearing on a PINS or JD petition or is adjudicated a PINS or JD; or
- has been diagnosed by a qualified psychiatrist or psychologist as being moderately developmentally disabled, emotionally disturbed or having a behavioral disorder which requires a high degree of supervision; or
- is a refugee or Cuban/Haitian entrant and is unable to function successfully in the community; or
- entered foster care directly from inpatient hospital care. This child is eligible for the special 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.
Before August 1990, the special rate could be paid for children who were adjudicated abused or neglected or who were awaiting a Family Court hearing on an abuse or neglect petition, children who were unmarried expectant mothers, or children who were family-care patients from the Department of Mental Hygiene. As of August 1990, however, children can qualify for the special rate based only on the particular needs listed above.
In order to receive the special rate, adoptive or foster parents must participate in at least 4 hours of agency 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.