Financial support for a foster family

Each child in care in a foster family receives a monthly guardianship (care) benefit of 4 basic social benefits (EUR 156) for the duration of their care. Where the child in care receives an orphan’s pension and/or a periodic maintenance payment, the amount of the guardianship (care) benefit is equal to the difference between the amount of the 4 basic social benefits and the amount of these benefits.

In order to ensure the care of the child in the foster family, a targeted supplement is paid to the guardian (carer) in the amount of 4 basic social benefits (EUR 156) is granted and paid once a month for a child under guardianship (care) in a foster family.

The guardianship (care) benefit and the targeted supplement to the guardianship benefit are not granted and are not paid:

1. if the child (person) is arrested, is serving a custodial sentence, has been placed under compulsory medical measures for in-patient observation in specialised mental health care institutions in accordance with the procedure laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Republic of Lithuania, has been declared wanted, or has been declared by a court to be in an unknown location;

2. if the child’s temporary guardianship (care) has been established at the parents’ request due to their temporary departure from the Republic of Lithuania.

If the child in care is enrolled in general education and/or formal vocational training programmes and receives maintenance (free accommodation and food) in a dormitory or children’s socialisation centre of a general education or vocational training school, he or she receives a benefit of 2 basic social benefits (EUR 76) per month.

For the social care services provided, the members of foster family will be guaranteed a maintenance income, which will not be lower than 1.5 times the minimum monthly salary (MMA) set by the Government, irrespective of the number of children cared for in the family (570 Euro). These funds come from municipal budgets.

State and municipal property may be transferred to the foster family for its activities on a temporary, gratuitous basis.

The foster family shall conclude an agreement with the municipal administration, in accordance with the model agreement form, for the financing of social care and, on the basis of a written request from the member of foster family, for financial support for the reconstruction or repair of immovable property used or owned by the foster family for its activities.

Members of foster family are insured with:
•   health insurance and state social insurance on the amounts paid for the maintenance of these members;
•   pension and maternity/paternity social insurance.

Participants of foster families are exempted by the Law on State Social Insurance of the Republic of Lithuania and pay a lower tax rate of 37.5% in total, of which 26.3% goes to social insurance for pensions, 9% to compulsory sickness insurance and 2.2% to sickness and maternity social insurance.  

The Law on Personal Income Tax of the Republic of Lithuania applies only a 5% income tax rate to members of foster families, although they are also treated as persons carrying out individual activity.

All the fees mentioned above are not paid by the foster family out of their maintenance income, but out of the targeted supplement (EUR 156 per child) provided by the state budget.