The purpose of the foster care maintenance payment is to assist licensed foster parents in meeting the needs of their foster child. A basic rate payment (level 1) is paid to all foster parents to help cover the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and personal incidentals. In addition, there are three levels of supplemental payments (levels 2, 3 and 4) which are paid to foster parents who care for children with varying degrees of physical, mental, behavioral or emotional conditions that require increased effort, care or supervision that are above the needs of a typically developing child.