How Much Does Foster Care Pay in Alabama?

Becoming a foster parent in Alabama means making a difference in the life of a child in care.

However, child care comes with a cost — you need to provide things like food and other needs. Hobbies and interests for children in care often come with a cost, too. Potential foster parents might worry about whether they can afford to be a foster parent with the expenses of fostering.

While it’s true that you need to have a stable income to be a foster parent in Alabama, there is a monthly stipend provided by the state for foster parents. 

This money is a small stipend meant to help cover the cost of taking care of a new family member. It is not payment for a job, or a reason to foster, just some help for foster parents who already give so much.

So, while most people will search for things like how much does foster care pay in Alabama? We prefer to talk about it in a different way that is closer to the actual experience.

We’ll cover that, along with some other information about foster care pay. But first, let’s talk about who can foster in Alabama. 

Who Can Become a Foster Parent in Alabama?

There’s a set of requirements in Alabama that people who want to foster need to meet.

Here are those requirements:

• Minimum age - Foster parents in Alabama must be at least 19 years old. However, to be a therapeutic foster parent you must be at least 25 years old.

• In good health - Foster parents in Alabama must be in good enough health to provide for a child in care — physically and mentally. 

• A safe home - A fostering home must meet the requirements of Alabama’s Minimum Standards for Foster Family Homes.

• Financial stability - Although the state of Alabama gives financial help, foster parents must also show that they have a stable income as well. 

• Passing background checks - In the state of Alabama, every adult in the foster family must go through background checks and criminal history checks to make sure the child in care is in a safe space. 

• Family stability - You can become a foster parent whether you’re single or married. However, if you are married, you’ll need to be together for at least a year to show some stability. 

Understanding Foster Care Payments in Alabama

Now that we know who can become a foster parent in Alabama, let’s look at how the state handles its monthly stipend for foster parents.

Basic Payments

In the state of Alabama, foster parents are given a monthly payment between $527 and $571 to help cover the costs of caring for foster children.

Remember though: this money needs to go toward the day-to-day costs of raising a child in care. Foster parents need to provide many different things for children that cost money, including:

• Food
• Clothes and shoes
• School supplies
• Hygiene supplies
• Hobbies
• And more

The Alabama foster care stipend, combined with a foster parent’s ability to show stable income, should help them provide these needs to children in care. 

However, there are some more supports available to foster parents.

Additional Financial Support

Foster parents in Alabama receive some support outside of a basic stipend as well. 

For example, daycare expenses — in Alabama, any daycare expenses are covered for children who aren’t old enough to go to school yet and aren’t living with a stay-at-home parent. The state has a list of approved daycares for this benefit.

Foster parents in Alabama also get 7 days of relief support care every year. During this time, children in care will stay with another licensed foster parent.

Lastly, Medicaid in the state of Alabama will cover any medical or dental costs for a child in care. This gives a major lift to foster parents since these costs can be expensive! 

How Payments are Calculated in Alabama

Not every foster parent gets paid the same amount — there are two things that influence the monthly stipend:

1. Age of the child in care
2. Their medical situation

In Alabama, the base amount that foster parents are given every month goes up as a child in care gets older and has more needs. This is usually around:

• For children aged 0-2, $527.57 monthly
• For children aged 3-5, $543.43 monthly
• For children aged 6-12, $556.84 monthly
• For children aged 13-21, 571.48 monthly

There’s also their medical needs. Some children in care may need different support because of complex medical needs, and these needs can end up costing foster parents more. In these cases, foster parents may be given extra to be able to provide the best possible care for their children. 

How Alabama Compares to Other States

Compared to the rest of the US, the amount given to foster parents in Alabama ranks somewhere in the middle — around half of the states give foster parents more, and the other half gives less.

For example, California gives the highest monthly payment to their foster parents at just over $1000 a month. 

However, on the bottom end of the scale is Utah with a monthly stipend of around $200.

Certain factors, like the cost of living, may end up affecting the amount given to foster parents throughout the US — California’s cost of living is much higher compared to many other states. 

Being a Foster Parent isn’t About Money

Foster parents aren’t paid for the gift of love and time they give the children in their care, and it isn’t a job. Being a foster parent is a life-changing experience that kids in care will never forget. We hope this information will help you feel confident that you can afford the expenses of fostering a child in need in Alabama!

Learn More About Fostering in Our Upcoming Webinar

Looking for more information about your other Alabama foster care questions?

If so, our upcoming webinar can give you the answers. 

By attending a Foster Parent Information Session Webinar and learning more about the fostering process, you can take the first step toward becoming a foster parent and providing a safe, loving, and supportive home for a child in need. 

Sign up for our webinar today, or call our local office to get started!