I mentioned in my last post that we spend more than we get to have foster children in our home. As foster parents in Utah we just got a pay cut to $14 a day for children under 12. That's about $420 a month. We do not have to pay for the child's health care, and are reimbursed for millage to and from case activity, and yes if the child meets age requirements we can sign up for WIC. Here's how the money breaks down in our home:
$90 For regular food in our house ($3/person/day including fruit/veggies/milk/WHOLE grain, of which we get the recommended amount for daily. NO malnourishment here thanks to home canning and food storage!) This, btw, is less then families receiving food stamps get per person/month. Many foster families are probably spending double on groceries and not eating rice and beans several times each month.
$30Extra for goldfish, juice, fruit leather ect.
$42 Mandatory spending on new clothes
$60 Diapers
$15 Wipes
$20 Toys
$50 Baby sitting, for dates, foster care training, court, family and team meetings
$90 For regular food in our house ($3/person/day including fruit/veggies/milk/WHOLE grain, of which we get the recommended amount for daily. NO malnourishment here thanks to home canning and food storage!) This, btw, is less then families receiving food stamps get per person/month. Many foster families are probably spending double on groceries and not eating rice and beans several times each month.
$30Extra for goldfish, juice, fruit leather ect.
$42 Mandatory spending on new clothes
$60 Diapers
$15 Wipes
$20 Toys
$50 Baby sitting, for dates, foster care training, court, family and team meetings
$307 Total
That leaves $113 to split between non case activity miles, entertainment, saving for birthday parties, Christmas, Easter baskets…. I know that the last few aren't necessary spending. BUT childhood is about going swimming, picking out pumpkins, and sledding in the snow. It's about waking up to an overflowing stocking on Christmas morning, hunting for Easter eggs, dressing up for Halloween, and having balloons and friends at your birthday party. Oh just for a minute, let's say we didn’t drive the child to anything other then visits and DR. appointments. Oh and we didn't do any of the other fun things associated with childhood, including Christmas presents, Halloween costumes or birthday parties. That means $113 is what the Giffords are getting "paid" to take care of someone elses child. Less then $4.00 a day. So, to those who complain that foster parents "do it for the money", here's the breakdown. What do you think? Is this what you expected, or are you surprised? How much will you pay someone to take care of your child when you go out with your handsome hubby or wonderful wife tonight?
That leaves $113 to split between non case activity miles, entertainment, saving for birthday parties, Christmas, Easter baskets…. I know that the last few aren't necessary spending. BUT childhood is about going swimming, picking out pumpkins, and sledding in the snow. It's about waking up to an overflowing stocking on Christmas morning, hunting for Easter eggs, dressing up for Halloween, and having balloons and friends at your birthday party. Oh just for a minute, let's say we didn’t drive the child to anything other then visits and DR. appointments. Oh and we didn't do any of the other fun things associated with childhood, including Christmas presents, Halloween costumes or birthday parties. That means $113 is what the Giffords are getting "paid" to take care of someone elses child. Less then $4.00 a day. So, to those who complain that foster parents "do it for the money", here's the breakdown. What do you think? Is this what you expected, or are you surprised? How much will you pay someone to take care of your child when you go out with your handsome hubby or wonderful wife tonight?
Personally, I think the work foster parents do is pretty important. It's not about the money, or lack thereof. Right now it's about Sleeping Beauty, her health and well being. It's about her feeling safe and secure and stable. Someday I hope she can feel all of those things at home with her parents. But until then I'll provide her with every opportunity I can afford.
5 comments:
Have you heard about foster children being warehoused? So...that means several checks...to one family...which = alot more than you are stateing here. Are there some foster parents doing the right thing? Of course. Are there more doing it for the money? If you truly believe what you are saying, please explain why 70% of US prison population is made up of foster kids? Is it the lack of Halloween candy or Valentine cards they are getting from foster families? No- it is because they are being ripped from their loving families, thrown into families that really dont care about them, and booted out on their asses when the checks stop coming! Do you know that the measly $400 a month you complain about getting could have been used to keep the family together? But people like you prevent that from happening. Do it for free; or dont do it all!!!!!
Wow. You are AMAZING. And the anonymous poster is not.
I can't believe the comments by the person who wouldn't even leave their name. How dare you accuse foster parents of not loving the children who are placed with them? I love our sweet foster daughter every bit as much as I love my biological child. It breaks my heart that she will leave her loving foster family to live with a biological parent who cannot care for her because of her drug use. These kids are not being "ripped from their loving families," they are being taken from parents who don't love them enough to stop damaging and abusive behavior. They are being taken from parents who need a government agency (who has extremely low standards to begin with) to tell them how to be a proper parent.
There is a wide range of reasons that people foster children. I understand that there are people doing it for the wrong reasons. But please do not insult good people like the authors of this blog for helping and loving a child who desperately needs it. And doing it for free? Most people could not afford to clothe, feed, and drive foster children to visits without some assistance. Nor should they have to! Why should the parent who screws up their life (and their children's life) get unlimited government assistance through food stamps, government sponsored drug treatment, and therapy while their child fends for themselves?
And your prison stats? I don't know where you got that number, but most foster children have behavioral problems because of the lack of stability in their lives. Too many times, children are taken repeatedly from their parents, and emotional problems stem from their parents' bad choices- not from their foster homes (generally speaking. There are certainly bad foster homes, too). My thought? Get children adopted by loving families if the parents don't get their acts together, and stop giving parents unlimited chances to change while the child is suffering from the constant shuttling back and forth.
Amen! We drive by a sign that states, "Subsidize your income - become a foster parent." I understand they are trying to attract more foster parents (because sadly there are so many children in a situation where their parents can't/aren't willing to/have been incarcerated/etc) but that isn't the message I want my kids to see every day.
I, like the author, am a foster parent and have loved having children fill our home but I don't do it for the money - we became foster parents because I had some friends who grew up in the system (were lucky to have great fparents) and we had the hearts and resources open to be a helping hand. There is nothing I enjoy more than seeing children go home to parents who love them enough to change - no matter what that change is. I love being a cheerleader and being able to help our kids know that their parents are putting forth a lot of effort because they love them! In our last case the parent didn't put forth any effort and it was a struggle for me - I can't imagine not getting my rear to meetings twice a week to be able to keep my children. They are good people, but in bad situations.
We are raising children, not making money.
And BTW, what about the money spent on gifts/help for the bio parents?!
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