What we're still confirming.

Why this list exists

Every fact on Foster411 is checked against an official source: DFCS policy (PAMMS), the DHS financial manuals, Georgia law (O.C.G.A.) and state agency pages. When we can't confirm something, the page shows a peach caution box instead of a number, and the question goes to the agency that can answer it. How we vet every fact.

Until a gap is closed, ask your case manager or agency, and get the answer in writing when it matters. We are not attorneys, and nothing here is legal advice.

Everything not yet confirmed

68 open items across 36 pages.

The aging-out toolkit.

• Embark Georgia's phone number is under verification The number in circulation for Embark doesn't appear on their current site, so we won't publish it. Use [email protected] or their contact page — we'll list a phone number once a call confirms the right one.
• Real federal category — Georgia specifics not yet verified Federal law created a Medicaid category for young adults who aged out of foster care, running to age 26 — that category exists. What we have not yet verified is how Georgia handles it: enrollment steps, which plan you land on, and who to call when coverage breaks. Rather than publish a guess, this section stays a placeholder until those answers are sourced from Georgia Medicaid. In the meantime: before the 18th birthday, ask the case manager or a GA RYSE Independent Living Specialist, in writing, how the young person's Medicaid continues after care. If you can confirm Georgia's current process first-hand, tell us. Update, Oct 18, 2026: Georgia's Medicaid manual rules for this category (no income limit, how to apply) are now quoted on our health insurance page. The enrollment experience itself, such as which number to call when coverage breaks, is still unconfirmed.

The document checklist: gather these before anyone asks.

• Commonly requested — but not in the published list Families frequently report being asked for items beyond the published requirements: pet vaccination records, personal references, marriage or divorce paperwork, and birth certificates are the usual suspects. None of these appears in the official list we verified above, and requirements differ between DFCS and Georgia's private agencies — so we won't publish them as required. Ask your agency for their complete document list at the information session.

The Georgia home safety checklist — sourced, not folklore.

• The evaluator's own form isn't public — so ask for it Policy names the form used at your walk-through (the Caregiver Home Inspection Safety and Compliance Checklist), but the form itself isn't published where we can cite it. Jul 2, 2026 The fix is simple and it's this page's best advice: at your first home-study consultation, ask your evaluator for the current checklist. They'll gladly hand it over — they'd rather you fix things before the walk-through than after. If your copy includes items we're missing here, tell us and we'll chase the citation.

Bring 5 to 50 people — and a plan for month thirteen.

• Signing up your church: confirm with Promise686 CarePortal's site has a general church sign-up, but no Georgia-specific onboarding steps or current Georgia numbers we can quote. Before you announce it from the pulpit, ask Promise686 (770-274-6560 · [email protected]) how your church gets connected and what needs are coming in near you.

A kid arrived with nothing. Start here.

• Allowance dollar amounts: not yet published The allowance and its rules are in DFCS policy, but the current age-based dollar amounts aren't published in any official source we can cite — so we won't print a number. Ask your case manager for the current figure for your child's age group and get it in writing. The guide will show the table, with a verified date, the moment DFCS confirms it. Checked Jul 2, 2026 — awaiting DFCS confirmation
• These categories exist — we just haven't confirmed the details Georgia has more free-stuff channels than this page lists: county-level foster closets (many county DFCS offices and local ministries keep one), diaper banks, and donation-driven groups like Atlanta Children's Foundation. We know they're out there, but we haven't verified names, hours, and phone numbers well enough to publish — and a wrong address at 9 p.m. with a new placement is worse than no listing. If you use a closet or diaper bank we should list, tell us about it — a person will verify it and add it with a dated badge. That's how this collection grows.

Can foster parents adopt their foster child in Georgia?

• Two things we will not print: a monthly dollar amount, and one inconsistency we found DHS posts basic family foster care per diem rates by age in its COSTAR 3001 manual, but the newest posted rates took effect July 1, 2025, and the cap is tied to what was or would have been paid for your child at adoptive placement — so we won't print what "capped at the foster care maintenance payment" equals in dollars. The honest reference point is what the child's care draws today; ask your case manager or the SSAU for the figure. Oct 1, 2026 And a heads-up: the state's public adoption assistance page currently describes the in-care criterion as 24 consecutive months, while the DFCS policy manual (PAMMS 12.1) says more than six consecutive months. We verified both pages the same day. The policy manual is what the SSAU applies, but don't take our word for your case — ask the SSAU or your Resource Development Worker which standard governs your child's eligibility, and get the answer in writing.
• Guardianship: a real alternative we haven't sourced yet DFCS policy names guardianship as a recognized permanency option alongside adoption — for some children, especially older youth or kinship placements, it can fit better than adoption. Jul 2, 2026 Georgia also has subsidized guardianship arrangements you may hear about, but we have not yet verified their eligibility rules or payment terms against an official source, so we won't summarize them here. Our guardianship, custody and adoption comparison sets the options side by side. If guardianship is on the table for your family, ask your case manager to walk you through the current policy and put the financial terms in writing before you choose a path.

The Foster Parent Bill of Rights, annotated.

• The grievance procedure may have been rewritten in 2026 The amended statute directs DFCS and the Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children, "along with an advisory committee composed in part of representatives from foster placement advocacy organizations," to "develop a grievance procedure, including a mediation procedure and an administrative procedure, to be published in departmental policy manuals and the Foster Parent Handbook no later than July 1, 2026" (subsection (d)). For private agencies, subsection (f) requires the Department of Human Services to develop a procedure "no later than July 1, 2026." Oct 18, 2026 We have not yet re-read PAMMS 14.17 or the Foster Parent Handbook after that deadline, so the steps and forms described next are as we verified them on July 2, 2026 and may have changed. Confirm the current steps with your case manager, your agency, or an advocate before you file.

"Can I foster if I…?" — the Georgia answers.

• The age rule for couples isn't as clear as it should be DFCS's published language conditions the age-25 minimum on being single: "at least ten (10) years older than the child to be placed and if single, be at least 25 years of age." Whether couples face 25 or a lower floor — and what age Georgia's private-agency rule (GAC 290-9-2) sets — isn't published anywhere we can cite. We've asked the state and will update this page when they answer. Until then, confirm the age rule with your agency at the info session.
• Bedroom rules: not yet verified We have not found a published Georgia rule we can cite on bedroom sharing — whether a foster child can share a room with your own child, age or sex limits, or minimum square footage. It's on our list of questions for the state. Your home study worker applies the current standard; ask them before rearranging furniture.
• We haven't published the disqualifying-offenses list Georgia maintains specific rules about which offenses bar approval, but we can't yet cite the current list from an official source, so we won't summarize it from memory. Ask honestly at your info session — the screeners have seen everything, and don't self-reject before someone with the actual list has looked at your situation.

CASA, GAL, child's attorney: three voices, one child.

• Who actually shows up varies by circuit — unverified locally How the child's-attorney seat is staffed differs across Georgia's judicial circuits: some counties run dedicated child-attorney offices, others appoint from panels of private lawyers. We haven't verified the arrangement circuit by circuit, so ask the case manager who is appointed in your child's case — it should be named in the court order.

DFCS or a private agency: the honest comparison.

• The claim you'll hear — and why we won't repeat it Agency websites often say private-agency families "get paid more." What's verifiable: the state sets minimum family payments, and individual agencies set their own schedules above that. Whether a given CPA pays more than the DFCS rate is a question for that agency, in writing — it is not a fact about all CPAs, and we found no official side-by-side comparison. The current rate figures live in the RBWO Minimum Standards on GA+SCORE; asking each agency for its current schedule is question #3 below. Checked July 3, 2026.

Georgia Families 360°: the survival guide.

• How many kids are on it? Two official-ish numbers. The state program page says about 27,000 members; 2025–26 news coverage of the contract fight says about 33,000. We haven't gotten DCH to confirm which is current, so we publish both with dates rather than pick one. Confirmation pending with DCH
• These are Amerigroup-era numbers — they will change when the transition lands. Both numbers belong to the current administration of the plan. When the CMO handoff finally happens, expect them to stop working with little ceremony. If a number fails, call your case manager — they always know the current plan contact, and Medicaid coverage itself doesn't lapse just because a phone line moved. (Our caseworker quick-reference carries the same warning.)
• Not yet verified: how fast coverage attaches, and whether it's retroactive. Foster parents often report that coverage reaches back to the date the child entered custody, so early appointments get covered even if the paperwork lagged. We have not found an official source that states this, so we won't publish it as a rule. It's on our verification list with Georgia Medicaid. Until then: don't delay care over a missing card — call the intake line or your case manager and ask them to confirm the child's coverage status directly.
• Dental and vision: ask, don't assume. We have not yet verified from an official source exactly how dental and vision are delivered under GF360° (directly, or through subcontracted benefit managers with their own provider lists). Treat both as questions to ask on your first intake-line call: "Who handles dental and vision for this member, and how do I find an in-network provider?" We'll publish the answer here once it's sourced.
• Provider-network verification is pending. Amerigroup's materials describe care-coordination support for GF360° members, but we haven't verified from an official source how that team is structured or reached, so we're not publishing steps yet. What works today: call the member intake line (1-855-661-2021 Jul 2, 2026) and ask to be connected with the child's care coordination team for help finding a behavioral health provider — and ask your case manager the same question in parallel. When we've verified the network-search path, this section becomes a real walkthrough.

Give things that actually get used.

• Tax credit: check the list before you give Georgia has a state income tax credit for some donations to qualified foster child support organizations, and our taxes guide explains it, including that preapproval is required. The Department of Revenue publishes a list of qualified foster child support organizations, certified by DFCS. The version we opened was dated August 24, 2026. Oct 18, 2026 Check the list for the group you plan to give to, and talk to a tax professional. Bloom Our Youth, Inc. (DBA Bloom) is on that list. Oct 18, 2026 We did not check the other groups below.
• FCSF donation page not located The donation page we had on file for FCSF returned "not found" on Oct 18, 2026, and we have not located another page that says how to donate goods or what it needs. Call or use the contact form on its site to ask. For how families use the closet, see free gear and closets.
• Caution County-level foster closets, diaper banks and other groups exist in Georgia, but we have not verified their names, hours or needs, so we do not list them. If you know one, send it in.

The grievance ladder that actually works.

• The steps below predate the 2026 amendment DFCS's published procedure (effective May 2024) predates the 2026 amendment; the law required a new procedure by July 1, 2026, which we have not found published. On October 18, 2026 we re-opened DFCS policy 14.17 ( PAMMS), which still lists “Effective Date: May 2024” and “Manual Transmittal: 2024-03,” and the DFCS Advocacy and Grievance Process page, which still describes Forms 80, 82, and 84 (the form footers read “Revised 09/14”). Oct 18, 2026 OCA's July 2026 newsletter says of the amendment: “DFCS grievance forms, notices, and procedures should be revised to reflect these rights.” Oct 18, 2026 We have not seen the revised Foster Parent Handbook. The steps and clocks in this guide are accurate for the policy as published, but a newer procedure may exist that we could not find. Ask your case manager, your agency, or an advocate which version applies before you file, and keep a copy of whatever they give you.
• This document shows its age The CPA grievance PDF posted by DFCS (re-read Oct 18, 2026) still references the "Department of Human Resources" (the agency's pre-2009 name) and older code sections, so it predates several reorganizations. The steps above are what the state currently publishes — but ask your agency for its current written grievance procedure, which it is required to have, and follow that version.

You want to help a foster family. Here is how to find one.

• Not yet verified for Georgia What a family may tell a meal team or church group. The policy above covers people who watch the child. We have not found a Georgia policy on what a family may share with helpers who don't, so we are not stating a rule. Follow the family's lead. Driving a child in care. We have not found Georgia's rules for a volunteer who drives a child (approval, insurance, car seats). Do not offer rides with a child until the family and their agency say yes.
• Gaps we could not fill yet We have not found an official directory of Georgia's private child-placing agencies with volunteer contacts, a published way for a community member to offer help through a county DFCS office, or confirmation that any foster parent association accepts community helpers. The Adoptive & Foster Parent Association of Georgia ( afpag.net) supports foster and adoptive families; whether it takes community helpers is unverified. We would rather leave these blank than send you to a wrong phone number. If you know a source, send it in. CarePortal, which lets a church respond to needs a caseworker posts, is explained on For churches & groups. We have not verified an individual route or Georgia onboarding steps, so we add no details here.

IEP basics: you probably have a seat at the table.

• Georgia's exact timeline — confirm before you count days Georgia sets its own evaluation timeframe in State Board rule, so the operative deadline here may differ from the federal 60-day default. We haven't verified the current Georgia rule text, so we won't quote a number. Ask the school psychologist or special education director: "What is Georgia's evaluation timeline, and what date does my consent start the clock?"

If your home is investigated, here is the process.

• Which office shows up varies — and we can't pin it further Georgia foster parents often describe being contacted by a "special investigations unit" or an investigator from outside their county. The PAMMS sections we verified describe who does the work (investigative case managers and supervisors, with required partners) but do not spell out which office is assigned in every county or situation. Ask the investigator directly: their name, their office, and their supervisor's name. Writing that down is both your record and a completely normal question.
• What we could not pin down The sections we verified do not state a blanket rule for whether children already placed with you routinely stay or routinely go while an investigation is open, and they don't address new placements during the hold — we won't invent a rule the manual doesn't state. What is verified: the home goes on hold in Georgia SHINES pending the outcome, and removal is tied to identified safety threats or a substantiated finding, not to the existence of a report. If a removal happens or is threatened and no one has explained the safety basis, that explanation is a fair thing to request in writing — with your advocate on the phone.
• Appeal details: we can only take you to the door The policy sections we verified confirm that a substantiated finding comes with written appeal procedures and a guide to CPS administrative reviews — but we haven't yet verified the appeal process itself (deadlines, hearing format, or any registry consequences), so we won't describe steps we can't source. If you receive a substantiation notice: calendar any deadline printed on it the day it arrives, call AFPAG, and strongly consider an attorney. The appeal window will not wait while you recover from the shock.

Georgia foster parent training: what NTDC is and how many hours.

• The Georgia session lineup — pending verification The NTDC curriculum publishes its themes nationally at ntdctraining.org, but we have not yet confirmed which sessions Georgia delivers, in what order, or how the 34 hours are divided among them. States adapt the curriculum, so copying the national list here could mislead you. We're verifying the exact Georgia lineup with a DFCS trainer, and this section will be filled in the moment we can source it. Until then: your regional training coordinator has the real schedule, and it comes with your enrollment.
• *About that 60-day start window Current PAMMS 14.9 says caregivers must begin CPD within 60 calendar days of initial approval, and that's the figure we publish. But an older version of the same policy circulating in agency documents says 90 days, so we've asked DFCS to confirm which is current. Until they answer, treat 60 as the deadline — you can't be caught out by planning for the stricter number.

What the per diem is supposed to cover.

• The itemized category list — not published here yet We have verified what the payment is and which policy chapter governs it, but we have not yet published PAMMS 9.1's exact category wording here, and DFCS publishes no spending breakdown. (DHS does post the basic per diem rates by age in its COSTAR 3001 manual; the newest posted rates took effect July 1, 2025.) A direct read of the chapter and written answers from the DFCS Office of Provider Management are on our state verification checklist. Until then we publish only what the confirmed sources support — no plausible-sounding filler. Checked Jul 2, 2026 — awaiting direct confirmation

How much do foster parents get paid in Georgia?

• Not yet confirmed for this fiscal year Georgia's fiscal year 2027 began July 1, 2026. As of October 18, 2026, COSTAR has no rate block dated July 1, 2026 or later, and we haven't found a DFCS document that says whether the July 2025 rates continue. Ask your case manager to confirm your current rate before you budget. We'll update this page when DFCS publishes FY2027 rates.

Before you hit post.

• Georgia's written photo/social-media rule — citation pending verification We went looking for the PAMMS chapter that says, in plain words, "foster parents may not post identifiable photos of children in care." We could not find one to cite. We checked the confidentiality chapter (§2.6), the normalcy chapter (§10.14), the caregiver chapters (§14.1 Safety and Quality Standards, §14.16 Working with Caregivers), the RPPS training packet, and the child-placing agency rules (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 290-9-2-.07) — all silent on photos and social media specifically. In practice the explicit rule lives in your placement agreement and your agency's own policy, which nearly always prohibit posting identifiable photos publicly. Until we can cite a published Georgia policy chapter, treat public posting as prohibited unless your case manager approves it in writing, and check what your own agency agreement says — that document binds you regardless of what PAMMS does or doesn't spell out.

When a placement ends: the 14-day notice.

• What we could NOT verify — don't assume the reverse We could not verify any rule guaranteeing that you get 14 days' notice when DFCS decides to move a child from your home — for reunification, a relative placement, a court order, or any other reason the Division initiates. The 14-day language we confirmed applies to moves the placement resource requests, and DFCS's separate 5-day written notice runs to the court and the parties, not specifically to you. If advance notice to foster parents for DFCS-initiated moves exists somewhere in policy, we haven't sourced it yet — it's on our ask-the-state list. Ask your case manager what notice you can expect, and don't plan around 14 days you may not get.
• Emergency moves: we can't give you a sourced timeline Placements sometimes end abruptly — a safety crisis in the home, an allegation, a hospitalization, a disruption that can't wait two weeks. We could not verify published policy language setting the timeline or process for emergency placement changes, so we won't invent one. What we can say: if a child or anyone in your home is unsafe, call your case manager (and the after-hours line your agency gave you) immediately — safety comes before any notice period. If it's a mental health crisis, GCAL at 988 is 24/7. Then ask, in writing, what the process and timeline will be for the move itself. This gap is on our ask-the-state list.
• Updates about the child after they leave: nothing we can promise you Many former foster parents want to know how the child is doing after a move. We could not verify any policy entitling you to updates or continued contact once a child leaves your home — decisions about ongoing contact sit with DFCS, the court, and the child's current caregivers. If staying in the child's life matters to you, raise it with the case manager before moving day, and know that the answer is theirs to give.

Respite care: a real break, before you burn out.

• We haven't verified an official "find a respite provider" directory Georgia doesn't have a public, statewide list of respite providers that we've been able to verify. In practice, respite comes through your case manager, other foster families you know (support groups and your agency's network are how most people find each other), or a DFCS-assessed caregiver you propose. If your agency maintains its own respite list, use it — and tell us so we can document it.
• "Respite-only" as a formal license type: not verified Some agencies talk about "respite-only" fostering as its own track. We haven't found a published DFCS policy defining a separate respite-only approval, so we won't describe one — ask 1-877-210-KIDS or your local agency what they actually offer. If you learn the specifics, tell us and we'll document it.

Supporting reunification well.

• Continued contact happens only by agreement — nothing we can promise you Once a child goes home, their parent decides who is in their life, like any parent. We could not verify any policy entitling former foster parents to updates or contact after reunification — the same gap we document in when a placement ends. If staying connected matters to you, the practice advice is: build the kind of relationship with the birth parents during the case that makes them want you around after it — and raise it gently before moving day, knowing the answer is theirs to give.

What you can decide without asking.

• Georgia's official decision list — citation pending verification DFCS implements RPPS in its policy manual, and Georgia's implementation may enumerate specific decisions, add conditions, or use signature forms we haven't verified yet ( Georgia's PAMMS implementation chapter — citation pending verification). Until we can cite that chapter, treat the list above as what the federal standard covers, and confirm any specific activity your agency questions against the policy text with your case manager.
• Georgia's consent and photo rules — citations pending verification The travel rule above is sourced. The Georgia-specific mechanics of the other two are not yet: which DFCS policy chapter governs medical and psychotropic-medication consent, and what Georgia's photo/social-media policy actually says (Georgia's PAMMS implementation chapters — citations pending verification). Until then: assume both need permission, and ask your case manager before consenting to treatment or posting a recognizable photo.
• Whether Georgia formally requires consent for haircuts — citation pending verification We have not yet verified whether Georgia policy explicitly requires birth-parent consent or consultation for haircuts and significant style changes ( Georgia's PAMMS implementation chapter — citation pending verification). Until we can cite the rule either way, treat significant hair changes as ask first.

School rights: enroll today, stay where they're known.

• Georgia's district-by-district cost agreements: we can't show you yours The federal law requires each district and DFCS to work out who pays, but those agreements are made district by district, and we could not find a published statewide Georgia agreement or a public list of local ones. So we can't tell you whether your district has one, or what it says. Ask two people the same question — your case manager and the district's foster care point of contact (next section): "What is this district's transportation procedure for keeping a child in their school of origin, and who pays?" If they don't have an answer, that's a gap to escalate, not a reason the child changes schools. This is on our ask-the-state list.
• Immunization paperwork: the honest edge of what we verified The federal language says "records normally required for enrollment," and the guidance says enrollment can't be delayed because documents haven't been provided — but neither source we verified names immunization records specifically, and Georgia has its own school immunization law with its own rules. So we won't promise you a school can never hold enrollment on a shot record. What we can say: raise it in the same breath as the federal right — ask the district's foster care point of contact how they handle immunization documentation for children in care, loop in the case manager (DFCS holds or can get the child's medical records), and don't accept a flat "come back when you have the blue form" without that conversation. If we pin down the Georgia rule, it will appear here.

Foster care & taxes in Georgia, without the January panic.

• Edge cases we haven't verified — ask a professional We have not independently verified how §131 applies to every Georgia payment type — for example respite reimbursements you receive for watching another family's placement, private-agency (CPA/RBWO) payment structures, or extended youth (18+) arrangements. If your situation isn't "DFCS pays me a per diem for a child living in my home," don't extrapolate from this page — bring it to a tax professional with the statute in hand.
• Pending professional review That "Georgia follows" conclusion is how the math works on paper; it has not yet been blessed by a CPA reviewer for this site. Confirm with your preparer before relying on it for anything unusual.
• No dollar amounts here, on purpose Credit amounts, income phase-outs, and refundability rules change every tax year, and a stale number on this page could cost you real money. Get the current-year figures directly from the IRS's credits and deductions for individuals pages (for example the Child Tax Credit) or your preparer — never from a community page's cached memory of last year.

Can foster parents take a foster child on vacation in Georgia?

• In-state trip requirements: not verified yet We haven't verified the exact requirement for overnight or multi-day trips within Georgia — ask your case manager before you book, and we'll cite the policy here once it's confirmed. In the meantime, a practical rule of thumb many families use: tell your case manager about any trip that involves nights away from home, even in-state. It costs you a text; it can spare you an argument later.
• Who signs off, and how far ahead to ask: not fully verified You may have heard that out-of-state travel needs the county director's signature. We could not verify that in the current travel policy text, and we haven't verified a required lead time either — we've asked the state and will cite the answer here once confirmed. Until then, don't count on a specific approver or a specific turnaround. The practical move: raise the trip with your case manager as soon as it's on your calendar — weeks ahead, not days — because the request has to travel through more than one desk before it comes back approved.
• The international details: not verified yet Beyond "the court must approve it," we haven't verified the specifics — how a child in care gets a passport, who applies for it, what documentation the court wants, or how long the whole process typically takes. Ask your case manager (and expect them to ask the SAA or county attorney) — we'll cite the policy here once it's confirmed. If an international trip is even a possibility, start the conversation months out.

WIC, SNAP & CAPS: what you can get.

• We haven't verified Georgia's WIC rule yet — don't rely on this section alone The claim that foster children are categorically (adjunctively) eligible for WIC is on our verification list, but as of July 2, 2026 we have not confirmed it against an official Georgia WIC or USDA source, and we won't state it as fact until we have. What to do instead: call your county health department's WIC clinic, say you're a foster caregiver for a child under five (or an infant), and ask how foster children are handled for WIC eligibility. Ask your case manager the same question. If the answer is yes, you apply as the child's caregiver — bring the paperwork listed below.
• Unverified for Georgia — ask an eligibility worker, not the internet The household-composition rules are real, but as of July 2, 2026 we have not verified how Georgia applies them to foster placements, and we will not publish income limits, benefit amounts, or a "foster kids count / don't count" answer we can't source. Get your answer from someone accountable for it: apply or check eligibility at gateway.ga.gov, and ask the DFCS eligibility worker handling your case directly: "I have a foster placement — is the child included in my SNAP household, and how are the foster care payments counted?" Then ask them to note the answer in your case file.

What is a DFCS case plan in Georgia?

• Not yet verified: how much notice you get before the meeting The policy says DFCS gives written notice of the case plan meeting to the parent, guardian or legal custodian ahead of time, but two DFCS policies state the notice period differently (10.23 and 19.3 do not use the same kind of days). We have not published a number. Ask your case manager for the date, time and place in writing, and ask how many days of notice applies to you.

How do I get my foster care records in Georgia?

• Not yet confirmed for this fiscal year Georgia's fiscal year 2027 began July 1, 2026. The policy text above is dated April 2024, and as of October 18, 2026 we haven't found a newer DFCS or DHS document that confirms the copy fee. Ask for a written cost estimate before you agree to pay.
• Not yet confirmed: your full case file We have not found an official source that says exactly what a former foster youth receives when they ask for their whole DFCS case file (placement history, case plans, reports about their own family), or what DFCS redacts. DFCS policy 2.6 lists who may see abuse-report records, and we could not tell from that list how a former foster youth's request for a full file is handled. The question is on our research list. Juvenile court records are held by the court and are a separate question we have not sourced.

Can I add my foster child to my health insurance in Georgia?

• The plan's administrator may change The official pages we opened on October 18, 2026 still name Amerigroup. Our Georgia Families 360° guide tracks reporting that the state awarded a later contract to another company and that the switch has been delayed; we have not confirmed that with DCH. If a name or number here doesn't match your child's card, call your case manager.
• Not yet confirmed: the member ID card We haven't found an official document that says when or how a new placement's member ID or card reaches the foster family. Ask your case manager for the child's Medicaid member ID at placement and keep it handy.
• Not yet confirmed: adding a foster child to your plan We searched the DFCS child welfare and Medicaid manuals and the DCH Georgia Families 360° pages and found nothing that says a foster parent may, must or must not add a foster child to a private health plan. Employer plans have their own rules. Before you change any coverage, ask your case manager what DFCS expects, and ask your plan's administrator whether a foster child is an eligible dependent. This question is on our research list.

Can you foster to adopt in Georgia?

• Dollar maximum not confirmed for this fiscal year Policy 12.1 (effective March 2025) states a maximum for this payment, but the document predates Georgia's fiscal year 2027, which began July 1, 2026, and our claim gate holds the figure until a current document confirms it. We don't print it here. Ask the Resource Development Worker or your case manager for the current maximum in writing.

How long does it take to become a foster parent in Georgia?

• Two official wordings of the home study deadline The DFCS recruitment site's Steps to Approval page states a different time limit for the written family evaluation than policy 14.10 does, and it starts the clock at a different point (after you complete all pre-service activities, rather than after you submit all required information). We have not published that figure because it did not pass our verification check. Ask your DFCS county office or agency which limit applies to you and get the answer in writing.

Do relatives get paid to raise a child in Georgia?

• Not yet confirmed for this fiscal year Georgia's fiscal year 2027 began July 1, 2026. The policy text above is dated February 2025, and as of October 18, 2026 we haven't found a DFCS document that confirms the amount for this fiscal year. Ask the office that handles your TANF case to confirm the current amount in writing before you budget.

Respite & a real break.

• GACRS respite referrals: not yet confirmed GACRS is sometimes described as offering respite referrals. On Oct 18, 2026 we could not confirm that the center, its phone line, courses or library are still operating (gacrs.org showed a hosting placeholder), and we never confirmed the respite-referral service. It's worth asking when you call; if they confirm it (or you've used it), tell us and we'll document it properly.
• No official "find a respite provider" directory — that we could confirm Georgia doesn't publish a statewide, public list of respite providers that we've been able to verify. In practice, respite coverage comes through your case manager, other foster families you've built relationships with, a DFCS-assessed caregiver you propose, or the community supports on this page. Some private agencies keep their own respite lists for their families — if yours does, use it, and tell us about it so we can document what exists. A visible gap beats a plausible guess.

Training that counts.

• Approval mechanics aren't published — ask before you start Neither PAMMS 14.9 nor DFCS's ongoing-training page spells out, publicly, who signs off on whether a given course counts toward your 15 hours. In practice your hours are tracked through your case manager and your agency or DFCS resource development team — so before counting anything from outside their own calendars, ask the person who maintains your CPD plan (your case manager or agency support worker) in writing. A one-line email now beats a December surprise.
• National online course sites — unconfirmed for Georgia Search for "foster parent training hours" and you'll find national online curricula marketed directly to foster parents, some free and some paid, many promising certificates. We have not confirmed whether Georgia counts any of them toward CPD, and DFCS's own training page doesn't name any — so we won't list them as if they count. If your case manager has approved a specific national course in writing, tell us which one and we'll chase down whether that's policy or a one-off. Also still unverified: whether GACRS lending-library materials convert to hours (see above), and each agency's individual calendar. Spot something wrong or newly confirmed? Report it.