Foster carers and formal grandparent carers receive state payments of between $500 to $1600 a fortnight depending on the age and needs of the child, while informal grandparent carers receive almost nothing.
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Payments increase depending on the child where carers of children with intensive needs receive up to $1060 a fortnight, while carers of children with complex needs could receive up to $1600.
The standard fortnightly rates in 2015 for a Tasmanian child in formal care aged up to four was $383, aged up to 11 was $439 and aged up to 17 was $507.
These payments cover daily costs of raising children such as clothing, food, nappies and personal care items, recreational activities and items, pocket money, travel and internet.
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Additional payments of $75 are given for birthday and Christmas gifts, school supplies are covered by a student assistance scheme, while private specialist services and ongoing-medication not bulk-billed or covered by PBS may be approved for payment by Child Safety Services.
Extra money is provided depending on the needs of the children.
Intensive payments cover children with aggressive, offending or destructive behaviours, substance problems and sleep or attachment issues.
Complex payments cover major mental illness, chronic medical conditions or disabilities, serious physical aggression, excessive substance abuse or sexually aggressive behaviours.
These state payments to foster and formal grandparent carers are in addition to any eligible payments from Commonwealth government which informal carers are also eligible.
New informal carers however receive almost nothing, despite some carers receiving payments in previous years.
Under the Relative Care Assistance Program informal carers received $28 a fortnight, two annual lump sumps totalling $728, an establishment payment of $400, an annual $75 for Christmas gifts, and an annual clothing allowance of $165.
In 2011 this assistance program was scrapped.
An additional payment scheme was offered in 2010 after a review of informal carer payments, where children in need of the state's child protection's lens were eligible.
Up to 215 children receive $1696 yearly, but this dropped to 59 by 2014.
Both payments are now grandfathered, and inconsistency and inequality of payments to informal carers exists.
