Subsidized guardianship in Wisconsin is a monthly payment for a relative or like-kin guardian of a child who was removed from home into out-of-home care. The guardian must be the child’s licensed foster parent and sign an agreement with the agency before the court appoints them. Payments are tied to the child’s foster care rate.
Subsidized guardianship in Wisconsin is governed by Wis. Stat. § 48.623 and supports guardianship when a child cannot return home and adoption is not appropriate. The child must have been removed from home under a voluntary agreement or a court order, lived with the guardian for a required period, and show a strong attachment to the guardian. Older children must be consulted. See how to become a guardian for a minor in Wisconsin.
The guardian must be a relative or a person with a family-like relationship with the child or the child’s family, must be committed to caring for the child permanently, and must have been licensed as the child’s foster parent for a required period before being named guardian. Foster parents without a prior family connection qualify only in limited situations.
The agency sets the monthly payment based on the child’s needs and the guardian’s circumstances, and it cannot exceed the child’s foster care payment before the guardianship. The child keeps Foster Care Medicaid while the agreement is in effect. Payments generally end when the child reaches adulthood, with limited extensions for some students.
Kinship care is a separate program with a flat payment, and a caregiver cannot receive kinship care and subsidized guardianship payments for the same child. See kinship care vs foster care in Wisconsin. Ask the child’s agency in writing for an eligibility decision. The agency must answer in writing, and a denial can be appealed within a short deadline.
Renier Hotopp Law Offices helps relatives with guardianship cases involving subsidized guardianship in Wisconsin through its Wisconsin family law attorney services. Learn more about the firm.
