Official Summary Text
SB1602 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
�HHS
& ATT���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1602
kinship
foster care stipend; increase
Purpose
Requires,
beginning January 1, 2027, the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to provide a
kinship foster care parent with a stipend of $400 per month for each child
placed with the parent, increasing by $100 each year until January 1, 2029.
Background
The placement of
a child who is in DCS custody is determined by the best interests of the child,
and DCS must establish kinship foster care services for a child who has been
removed from the child's home. A kinship foster care parent may be eligible to
receive the following financial services for the child: 1) full foster care
benefits, including payment if the kinship foster care parent becomes a
licensed foster care home; and 2) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Cash Assistance
payments. DCS provides maintenance payments to licensed foster families for the
care of children in out-of-home care. DCS sets foster care rates and determines
eligibility for special rates (
A.R.S.
� 8-514.03
).
An unlicensed
kinship foster care parent will receive monthly reimbursement from DCS. At the
end of each month, the parent will confirm the number of days the child was in
their home. The reimbursement includes a diaper allowance, if applicable, the
personal and clothing allowances and the kinship stipend (
DCS
).
Laws 2022, Chapter
329
appropriated monies from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2023
to DCS to provide a kinship foster care parent with a stipend of $300 per month
for each child placed with the foster care parent. The Legislature intended
that the one-time appropriation be considered ongoing funding in future years.
The stipend increase has since been added to the Baseline budget as an ongoing
expenditure (
JLBC
).
In 2025, the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) published a fiscal note on S.B. 1490, a
near identical measure to S.B. 1602, which estimated that the bill would
generate a state General Fund cost of $2.2 million in the first fiscal year of
implementation, $6.5 million in the second year and $10.8 million in the third
year, before realizing the full phase-in cost of $12.9 million in future fiscal
years (
JLBC
Fiscal Note
).
Provisions
1.
Requires
DCS to provide a kinship foster care parent with a monthly stipend for each
child placed with the parent in at least the following amounts:
a)
$400, effective January 1, 2027;
b)
$500, effective January 1, 2028; and
c)
$600,
effective January 1, 2029.
2.
Makes technical changes.
3.
Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments
Adopted by the Appropriations, Transportation & Technology Committee
�
Advances the date the stipend reaches $600 per month from January
1, 2030, to January 1, 2029.
Senate Action
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ATT ������� 2/25/26 ����� DP ����� 10-0-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 25, 2026
MM/SDR/hk
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB1602 - 572R - S Ver
Senate Engrossed
kinship foster care
stipend; increase
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE BILL 1602
AN
ACT
amending section 8-514.03, Arizona
Revised Statutes; relating to kinship foster care.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section
1.
1. Section
8-514.03, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE
8-514.03.
Kinship foster care; requirements; investigation
A. The department shall establish kinship foster
care services for a child who has been removed from the child's home and who is
in the custody of the department. The program shall promote the
placement of the child with the child's relative or a person with a significant
relationship with the child for kinship foster care.
B. A kinship foster care parent applicant who is not
a licensed foster care parent shall be at least eighteen years of
age. The applicant and each member of the applicant's household who
is at least eighteen years of age shall submit a full set of fingerprints to
the department of child safety for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal
criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The
department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal
bureau of investigation. The department of child safety shall
determine if the applicant is able to meet the child's health and safety needs
by conducting one or more home visits and interviewing the
applicant. The department of child safety may interview other
household members, review the applicant's personal and professional references
and conduct department of child safety central registry checks.
C. If the department determines that a kinship
foster care placement is not in the best interest of the child, the department
shall provide written notification to the applicant within fifteen business
days. The notice shall include the specific reason for denial, the
applicant's right to appeal and the process for reviewing the decision.
D. A kinship foster care parent may be eligible to
receive the following financial services for the child:
1. Full foster care benefits, including payment if
the kinship foster care parent becomes a licensed foster care home or if the
kinship foster care parent obtains a restricted license pursuant to section 8-509,
subsection C.
2. Temporary assistance for needy families cash
assistance payments for a child only case and supplemental financial support.
E. The department shall establish procedures for
child welfare workers to inform kinship foster care families about available
financial and nonfinancial services and eligibility requirements and shall
assist the families in completing the necessary application.
F. If a family declines to apply for financial
services, the family shall sign a statement indicating that the family declined
services. The statement does not prevent the family from
making application
applying for financial
services
in the future. The worker shall provide a copy of
the statement to the family.
G. The department shall provide nonfinancial
services for a kinship foster care parent through existing means or
referral. Nonfinancial services may include:
1. Family assessment.
2. Case management.
3. Child day care.
4. Housing search and relocation.
5. Parenting skills training.
6. Supportive intervention and guidance counseling.
7. Transportation.
8. Emergency services.
9. Parent aid services.
10. Respite services.
11. Additional services that the department
determines are necessary to meet the needs of the child and family.
H. The department shall provide a
kinship foster care parent with a monthly stipend for each child who is placed
with the kinship foster care parent.� The stipend shall be at least:
1. $400 from and after December 31,
2026 through December 31, 2027.
2. $500 from and after December 31,
2027 through December 31, 2028.
3. $600 from and after December 31,
2028.
END_STATUTE