Florida Senate - 2025                                     SB 544
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       22-00343-25                                            2025544__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to foster care payments; amending s.
    3         39.5085, F.S.; authorizing certain payments to
    4         relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed with
    5         them in out-of-home care and who obtain a child
    6         specific level I foster license within a specified
    7         timeframe; making technical changes; providing
    8         applicability; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subsection (2) of section
   13  39.5085, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         39.5085 Relative Caregiver Program.—
   15         (2)
   16         (d)1. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child placed
   17  with them in out-of-home care and who have obtained licensure as
   18  a child-specific level I foster license placement, regardless of
   19  whether a court has found the child to be dependent, shall
   20  receive a monthly payment in accordance with s. 409.145(3) from
   21  the date the child is placed in out-of-home care with his or her
   22  relatives or with nonrelatives until the child achieves
   23  permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s. 39.621.
   24         2. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been
   25  found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care and
   26  who have not obtained a child-specific level I foster license
   27  shall receive a monthly payment at a rate equal to the rate
   28  established in s. 409.145(3) for licensed foster parents,
   29  regardless of whether the relatives or nonrelatives have
   30  obtained a child-specific level I foster license, from the date
   31  the child is found to be dependent or from the date the child is
   32  placed with them in out-of-home care, whichever is later, for a
   33  period of no more than 6 months or until the child achieves
   34  permanency as determined by the court pursuant to s. 39.621,
   35  whichever occurs first. Relatives or nonrelatives who obtain a
   36  child-specific level I foster license within the 6-month period
   37  after the date of placement shall receive retroactive payment at
   38  a rate equal to the rate established in s. 409.145(3) for
   39  licensed foster parents for any month in which the relatives or
   40  nonrelatives did not receive a monthly payment because a court
   41  had not yet found the child to be dependent.
   42         3. Relatives or nonrelatives who have a child who has been
   43  found to be dependent placed with them in out-of-home care and
   44  who have not obtained a child-specific level I foster license
   45  within 6 months from the date of such placement shall receive a
   46  monthly payment in an amount determined by department rule from
   47  6 months after the date the child is found to be dependent or
   48  from 6 months after the child is placed with them in out-of-home
   49  care, whichever is later, until the relatives or nonrelatives
   50  obtain a child-specific level I foster license or until the
   51  child achieves permanency as determined by the court pursuant to
   52  s. 39.621, whichever occurs first. The monthly payment amount
   53  paid to relatives or nonrelatives pursuant to this subparagraph
   54  must 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. The amendments made by this act to s. 39.5085,
   68  Florida Statutes, apply to relatives or nonrelatives who have a
   69  child placed with them in out-of-home care on or after July 1,
   70  2025.
   71         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.