Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) Program
Approved Relative Caregiver Eligibility
Policy: ACL 22-16, ACL 16-92, ACL 17-112, WIC 11631.3(i) and (j), ACL 22-33, ACL 21-141, WIC 11461.3
Aside from the Kin-GAP Program, there are other child welfare programs that provide benefits and support to relatives who are willing to be caregivers for their kin.
The ARC Program provides cash aid to relative caregivers who care for children that are ineligible for federal foster care benefits. The program addresses disparities in payment amounts for these relatives, as the ARC payment is equal to foster care rates paid to other AFDC-FC placement settings, including rates paid under the Kin-GAP program. This increase in funding strengthens the relatives’ ability to care for their kin.
Unless the child or NMD is eligible for the dual agency rate pursuant to Section 11464, the county with payment responsibility shall pay an approved relative caregiver a per child, per month rate at the child’s or NMD’s assessed level of care, in return for the care and supervision, of the child or non-minor dependent if all the following conditions are met:
- The child or non-minor is under the jurisdiction of the California juvenile court.
- The child or non-minor dependent resides in California.
- The child or NMD is described by subdivision (b), (c), or (e) of Section 11401 and the county welfare department or the county probation department is responsible for the placement and care of the child or non-minor dependent.
- The child or non-minor dependent is not eligible for AFDC-FC while placed with the approved relative caregiver because the child or non-minor dependent is not eligible for federal financial participation in the AFDC-FC payment.
The home of the relative meets the health and safety standards under the Resource Family Approval program.
― ARC uses the same definition of relative as mentioned in Relative Section.
― Families receiving ARC can still receive county funded Substitute Care Increments and clothing allowances.
― Any income or benefits received by an eligible child, or the approved relative caregiver on behalf of the eligible child or NMD, that would be offset against the rate paid to a foster care provider shall be offset from any funds that are not CalWORKs funds paid to the approved relative caregiver pursuant to this section.
― When an approved relative caregiver receives overpayment by the county, counties shall recoup the overpayments in the ARC funding program using the standards and processes for overpayment recoupment that are applicable to overpayments to an approved resource family, as specified in Section 11466.24.
― A child placed out of state in the home of a relative shall be eligible for payment pursuant to:
― The home of the relative is licensed or approved consistent with the requirements of the state in which the home is located.
― All other eligibility conditions described above in this section are met.
― Payments made pursuant to this section will be the equivalent of the host state’s foster care rate.