Lawmakers advance bill to increase payments to Oklahoma foster families
Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, is the author of a bill seeking to increase reimbursement payments to Oklahoma foster families. Archer, left, and Sen. Kelly Hines, R-Edmond, listen to the governor's State of the State Address in the House chamber of the state Capitol on Feb. 3. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — House lawmakers pushed forward Monday an effort to increase reimbursement payments to foster families by at least $140 a month.
House Bill 2030 would increase 'maintenance payments' to foster care parents by $5 per day. These payments are intended to help families cover the cost of caring for a foster child, including necessities like food, clothing, school supplies, personal incidentals and reasonable travel.
Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, said he authored the bill because of a constituent request and these payment amounts have not changed since 2018.
'We have some constituents in western Oklahoma who have taken in foster children and they chose not to break that family unit apart,' he said. 'They're just asking for a little more assistance because they have the heart, they have the will, but financially, it is tough.'
The current reimbursement rates are $17.72 for children ages 0 to 5, $20.42 for 6 to 12-year-olds, and $22.62 for children 13 and older. These payments are dispersed on a monthly basis.
The increase equates to average monthly payments ranging from $681.60 to $828.60 based on the child's age.
Oklahoma's Department of Human Services estimates increasing the rates will cost over $48 million in total, but the state will only be responsible for paying $25.7 million, or 53% of the cost. Federal dollars would cover the remaining $22.5 million.
Archer said legislators can't 'put a price tag on how these dollars would benefit kids who are in their most troubling time.'
The Department of Human Services has said over 5,800 children are in the state's foster care system. The agency wants to add 400 new foster homes in 2025.
Archer said inflation is one of the reasons the rate increase is necessary. Finances have become a barrier for foster families and that this bill has the potential to 'save money on the backend.'
He said this bill changes the payments to 'traditional foster families,' which Archer said are foster parents who take in children with no relation or kinship to themselves.
While the bill only mentions traditional foster families, a financial analysis said it would also increase the daily payments for associated DHS foster care programs in order for the agency to stay in compliance with a court settlement.
The bill, which passed unanimously, can now be heard by the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
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