The Department of Children and Family Services shall establish a system for reimbursement of foster home child care costs based on the level of care for all foster children placed in foster homes providing temporary or long-term foster care for not more than six children receiving the services of the department. The department shall promulgate rules for implementation of the reimbursement system by January 1, 1995, but only if funds are made available by appropriation by the legislature, and shall submit such rules to the committees on health and welfare of the House of Representatives and the Senate in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. At a minimum, the department shall seek each year through the budgetary process funds sufficient to reimburse foster parents at a rate at least equal to the cost for child care as reported and published by the United States Department of Agriculture for the Southeastern United States.

            Acts 1993, No. 848, §1; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.