Foster & Kinship
Foster Care, Kinship & Adoption in New York
Raising a relative's child, fostering, or adopting from foster care? Different funding streams, different benefits, different deadlines.
Kinship Caregivers — start here
Raising a grandchild, niece, or nephew? You may qualify for benefits even without going through foster care.
- •Non-Parent Caregiver Grant: monthly cash assistance based on the child only (not your income).
- •KinGAP: monthly subsidy for relatives who become legal guardians of a child who was in foster care.
- •Kinship Navigator Program — free help applying.
Foster Parents
- •Monthly board rate based on child's age and needs (higher for special-needs designation).
- •Children in foster care are automatically Medicaid-eligible.
- •OCFS Bill of Rights for foster parents — request a copy from your agency.
Adopting from Foster Care
- •Adoption Subsidy: monthly payment continues after adoption for children with special needs.
- •Adoption tax credit: federal credit for qualified adoption expenses.
- •Medicaid continues for adopted children with special needs designation.
Special-Needs Designation Matters
Get the designation before adoption finalizes
Special-needs designation locks in higher subsidies, Medicaid, and post-adoption services. Once finalized without it, it's much harder to add later.
Post-Adoption Services
- •OCFS-funded Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of NY (AFFCNY) supports adoptive parents statewide.
- •Therapy, respite, and crisis services available through your placing agency.
- •Many adopted children qualify for OPWDD or Children's Waiver — apply early.
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