Baker-Polito Administration To Increase Payments For Foster Care Families During COVID-19 Crisis; Creates Emergency Childcare Sites

The following is a media release from the Governor’s office submitted to SOURCE media.

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BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration announced additional support for foster families and a new emergency order authorizing the creation of emergency childcare sites today, April 17.

The administration recognizes that as result of schools closing and closure of non-essential businesses, foster families are incurring increased costs.

Foster parents are vital to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and its mission to keep children safe, as they care for some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children who have been abused and neglected.

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To support foster parents providing departmental foster care, DCF will be making a $100 monthly payment for each child in placement on the 15 of April, May and June.

Currently, on average, foster parents are reimbursed between $830 to $975 per child per month, depending on the age of the child in their care. This $100 additional payment represents a 10% – 12% increase over current reimbursements for foster parents.

The relief will benefit the approximately 4,500 foster families who provide departmental foster care for 6,700 children. This includes unrestricted and kinship foster families.

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Yesterday, Governor Baker issued an emergency order authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to establish emergency sites for children and youth living in residential homes that have tested positive for COVID-19 and need to be cared for in quarantine or isolation.