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AB-349 • 2026

Foster care supplement.

Foster care supplement.

Budget Children Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Dixon
Last action
2025-10-01
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 143, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the inflation adjustment will be calculated or what happens if there are no funds available in the annual Budget Act to cover the increased supplement amount.

Foster Care Supplement Increase

AB-349 adjusts the monthly supplement paid to foster care providers when children live with parents receiving certain benefits, for inflation starting July 1, 2026.

What This Bill Does

  • Adjusts the $489 supplement for inflation beginning on July 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Foster care providers who receive payments for caring for children in foster care.
  • Parents receiving AFDC-FC, Kin-GAP benefits, or ARC payments and living with their child.
  • Counties that manage the AFDC-FC program, Kin-GAP benefits, and ARC payments.

Terms To Know

AFDC-FC
Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care program where counties pay foster care providers for children in foster care.
Kin-GAP
Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program that gives aid to eligible children who have a kinship guardianship.
ARC
Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program providing payments to relatives caring for children and nonminor dependents not eligible for AFDC-FC.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the inflation adjustment will be calculated.
  • It is unclear what happens if there are no funds available in the annual Budget Act to cover the increased supplement amount.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 143, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-01 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-24 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 3496.).

  5. 2025-09-13 California Legislative Information

    Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)

  6. 2025-09-12 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  7. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2930.).

  8. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  9. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  11. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  12. 2025-07-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  13. 2025-07-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HUMAN S.

  15. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  16. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 2004.)

  17. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  18. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  19. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  20. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    Assembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 51. Noes 16. Page 1644.)

  21. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  22. 2025-05-06 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  23. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  24. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (May 1).

  25. 2025-02-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on HUM. S.

  26. 2025-01-30 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 1.

  27. 2025-01-29 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 349, Dixon.
Foster care supplement.
Existing law establishes the Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Foster Care (AFDC-FC) program, under which counties provide payments to foster care providers on behalf of qualified children in foster care. Existing law establishes a schedule of basic rates to be paid for the care and supervision of each foster child. Existing law also establishes the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payment Program (Kin-GAP), which provides aid on behalf of eligible children who have a kinship guardianship, and the Approved Relative Caregiver Funding Program (ARC), which provides payments to approved relative caregivers who are caring for children and nonminor dependents who are ineligible for AFDC-FC payments.
Existing law requires, when a child is living with a parent who receives AFDC-FC or Kin-GAP benefits, or ARC payments, that the rate paid to the
foster care provider on behalf of the parent include an additional monthly supplement of $489 for the care and supervision of the child, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
This bill would require, beginning July 1, 2026, that supplement to be adjusted for inflation. To the extent the bill would impose new requirements on counties administering the AFDC-FC or Kin-GAP benefits or ARC payments, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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