Foster Care Per Diem Cost Calculator

Foster care reimbursement rates in the United States vary by a factor of more than 3 to 1 depending on state, child age, and level of care. A basic care foster family in Mississippi may receive $11/day per child while a therapeutic foster home in California caring for a medically complex adolescent can receive $75 to $140/day. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the national average basic foster care reimbursement covers approximately 60% of actual child-rearing costs, meaning most families subsidize placement out of pocket. For foster families evaluating whether they can financially sustain a placement, or for agencies budgeting caseload costs, knowing the per diem rate and monthly reimbursement is the starting point. This calculator helps foster families and agency financial staff determine expected monthly reimbursements based on state, age tier, level of care, and placement length, and project the gap between reimbursement and actual child-rearing costs using the USDA Cost of Raising a Child benchmarks.

This calculator estimates monthly foster care reimbursement amounts based on state, child age group, and level of care designation (basic, moderate, specialized, therapeutic, or medically complex). It uses 2026 state rate data and calculates per diem, monthly, and annual reimbursement totals. The tool also estimates the gap between reimbursement and typical child-rearing costs using USDA expenditure benchmarks segmented by age and income bracket, helping families and agencies understand the realistic cost-to-reimbursement ratio for each placement type.