Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1046
By Senator Rodriguez
40-01680A-25 20251046__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Relative Caregiver Program
3 payments; amending s. 39.5085, F.S.; providing that
4 relatives and nonrelatives who have a child placed
5 with them in out-of-home care under the Relative
6 Caregiver Program may start receiving a monthly
7 payment at the time the child is placed in such out
8 of-home care, instead of starting when the child is
9 found to be dependent; providing that certain
10 relatives and nonrelatives who have a child placed
11 with them may start receiving monthly payments after a
12 specified time period; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
17 39.5085, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
18 39.5085 Relative Caregiver Program.—
19 (2)
20 (d)1. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed
21 with them in out-of-home care and who have obtained licensure as
22 a child-specific level I foster placement, regardless of whether
23 a court has found the child to be dependent, shall receive a
24 monthly payment in accordance with s. 409.145(3) from the date
25 the child is placed in out-of-home care with his or her
26 relatives or with nonrelatives until the child achieves
27 permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s. 39.621.
28 2. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been
29 found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care,
30 regardless of whether a court has found the child to be
31 dependent, shall receive a monthly payment at a rate equal to
32 the rate established in s. 409.145(3) for licensed foster
33 parents, regardless of whether the relatives or nonrelatives
34 have obtained a child-specific level I foster license, starting
35 from the date the child is found to be dependent or from the
36 date the child is placed with them in out-of-home care,
37 whichever is later, for a period of no more than 6 months or
38 until the child achieves permanency as determined by the court
39 pursuant to s. 39.621, whichever occurs first.
40 3. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been
41 found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care,
42 regardless of whether a court has found the child to be
43 dependent, and who have not obtained a child-specific level I
44 foster license within 1 month after 6 months from the date of
45 such placement shall receive a monthly payment in an amount
46 determined by department rule starting 1 month from 6 months
47 after the date the child is found to be dependent or from 6
48 months after the child is placed with them in out-of-home care,
49 whichever is later, until the relatives or nonrelatives obtain a
50 child-specific level I foster license or until the child
51 achieves permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s.
52 39.621, whichever occurs first. The monthly payment amount paid
53 to relatives or nonrelatives pursuant to this subparagraph must
54 be less than the monthly payment amount provided to a
55 participant enrolled in the Guardianship Assistance Program
56 pursuant to s. 39.6225.
57 4. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed in
58 their care by permanent guardianship pursuant to s. 39.6221, in
59 a permanent placement with a fit and willing relative pursuant
60 to s. 39.6231, or under former s. 39.622 if the placement was
61 made before July 1, 2006, and who are not enrolled in the
62 Guardianship Assistance Program pursuant to s. 39.6225 shall
63 receive a monthly payment in an amount determined by department
64 rule which must be less than the monthly payment amount provided
65 to a participant enrolled in the Guardianship Assistance Program
66 under s. 39.6225.
67 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.