Hawaii Raises Foster Care Rates After Settling Lawsuit

The Hawaii Department of Human Services is raising foster care rates after settling multiple federal class action lawsuits regarding state foster care payments. The state’s basic board rate of $529 per month had not been increased since 1990. The state announced the settlement on August 29, 2016. The new rates will go into effect for the 2017 to 2018 fiscal year. In the settlement, the state and plaintiffs also agreed on a methodology DHS would use to review those rates in the future.

When the complaint was filed in 2013, the monthly board rate was $529 per month. The . . .