Peeples (author) from South Carolina on November 26, 2014: Sandy, it is said again and again and again here that most of us think it is perfectly understandable to need some compensation to help make it affordable. Sad! How long do they stay in foster care? Foster parents in Florida receive approx $200.00 to $300.00 MORE per month than relative caregivers with children placed in permanent guardianship after removal from parents. A foster child is a child who has been placed in your custody by a court as a result of being: ... You will get R1 040.00 per month per child. I see the foster parents who dress great while the foster child is in rags that have been recycled so many times the goodwill would even trash it. The answer is no because I couldn't afford it, but that doesn't make me a bad person because I am not. This allowance will automatically be paid to the placement provider on the first payroll following Decem-ber 1 each year. On the positive side, I know two individuals who have fostered 6 children between them. However, it doesn't provide exact rates. I had foster parents who didn't even keep running water, locked away food, and did a lot worse. The baseball games, practice for volleyball and swimming will eat up in one month what is offered as a form of payment by one state. You will lose more than you make. I had a friend who had two foster children. all their lives while in foster care they hear they are ADHD or slow or have cerebral palsy etc etc etc only so that the states can prove more "need" and therefor more money. You are not being paid for a service. Without going into details, after she shared her experience with me....both the positive and negative, I know I would not opt to foster children. We would be poor, but I have always been poor and know how to take care of kids with little money. Nothing is more insulting than some random person making the comment "Oh, do you do foster care for the money?". They are there because they were failed by a parent and now have to pay the price and be failed by the foster care system. Foster care is one of the most important jobs you can do for a child. Foster parents provide the day-to-day care for a child on behalf of a children's aid society. Because you will get a lot of services that are a pain and the ones you need you won't get. But for someone who would like to help, and no necessarily wealthy, it is important to know, if I foster a child under school age, is there help with the cost of daycare? Arkansas: Unfortunately, there is little info available online in terms of exact subsidy rates, despite there being over 5,000 children in foster care in 2017. The things needed to work on sensory issues that are not covered under medical insurance and placing them into multiple activities to help with PT and OT development. You should not consider getting payment from the state as getting "paid" to do your job. Washington: The Department of Social and Health Services lists the different rates according to age and the level of care needed. We haven taken in over 5 kids that were friends of our children, in the last 15 years. And yeah orphanages were notorious for rampant child abuse so please don't push for those again. Each state has its own definition of "special needs.". You should be working with a case worker in your state and getting funds through your state. Is it right that the states do not fully cover the expenses? I am a foster carer in the UK, and they class it as a job here because they want you to give up work and look after the children. Peeples (author) from South Carolina on May 10, 2016: You are correct Anna. You have more problems with specialized kids. Georgia: The state increased foster care per diem rates in 2017 by $10/day but did not increase adoption assistance. Here is a list of the qualities you need to possess if you are thinking about fostering. As a foster parent, there are a few things I'd like to help you non-foster parents understand. Extreme Caution is a must.......UP+++. Hi, In the UK fostering is considered as professional work, a lot of training and studying is involved, our children do benefit a much higher standard of care..... it makes sense as we are all trained to understand these childrens needs, and to know how to manage all kinds of behaviour, this indeed gives them a much brighter future if they choose to embrace all the things that are offered to them. The costs for a child are high. In any event, what I wanted to mention is that she (my GD) has made it clear that New York provides very little toward monetary support. I used to volunteer at a school. Again, this may vary slightly in different states, but overall, the state just wants to make sure you make enough money to meet your family's needs. There are good and bad foster families but unfortunately, you only hear about the bad ones. :). Those who are more concerned with getting the money than taking care of the children. While it doesn't list specific subsidy rates, it does go into detail as to what these payments cover. Foster care is one option for providing homes for children and youth up to 18 who can't live safely with their own parents or caregivers. They simply get the monthly payment. So I find the people shouldn't care about money posts above to be very irresponsible and delusional. I would also hope that anyone interested in fostering has their heart in the right place. Thank you! It's likely that payments won't start to arrive until near the beginning of the second month that you providing care, so you'll want to have extra money stashed away to help cover costs for that first month. It's a good deed. Peeples (author) from South Carolina on February 01, 2013: And this is what's wrong with foster parents! Mississippi: The Department of Child Protection Services breaks down the foster care rates and what they are intended to cover. Raising a foster child should be about determination for that child's best interests and future. I do expect to be paid, and I'm not ashamed to say so. It's my calling to from God to take care of children, and I will!! Like others? asking how much does not mean a definite answer of no, but it is a reasonable request in my eyes. And let me tell you, this reimbursement is rarely enough to cover all of a child's needs (I include average monthly payments in a table below to prove this point). WTH!? Shelter care payments are not made each time a child moves to another foster or relative home. Hawaii: Hawaii last raised its rates in 2014, but as of 2018, the governor is requesting over seven million dollars to raise monthly payments for the nearly 3,000 children in the foster care system. This also goes to show a big fault with society when helping children who have no homes becomes a "career" instead of something you do just because there is a need. $30,000 is the 25th percentile. I myself adopted a child from the state and let me tell you "YOU COULDN'T PAY ME ENOUGH TO THAT AGAIN" -- As far as i am concerned the rate should be DOUBLE!! This article will cover the following information: The rates below are just an average range. Foster parents caring for Level 4 children are receiving the higher stipend. I think there is some assumption out there that the money is going to be enough to cover a large amount of bills, but that's just not the case. I still keep in contact with all my foster parents even now, 35 yrs old. It had it���s good points but there are things you need to know if you are considering taking in foster children. For several reasons, i"ve not been able to take it any further......but maybe I was being "protected" by a Guardian Angel. According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, "the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation’s foster care system. We have been therapeutic foster parents for over 20 years. Tennessee: The Department of Family and Children Services offers a nice little cheat sheet that breaks down the monthly subsidies and clothing allowances according to age. It's rather simple. I see the children who say they are limited to how much food they can eat. These families that adopted were loving patient and caring. I think both you can want to help but shouldn't you also be concern our not spending your Money. I have mixed feelings about this because, it can be supposed that if this is the case, it may be that the adults willing to take in children are in it for the humanity and help they can provide children....On the other hand, once a child is placed and the difficulties arise and seem too much for the foster family to handle, the lack of funds only adds to the frustration and unwillingness of people to keep the children. You are so right Peeples! You can set an example of what a family is suppose to be. Remember that when you are thinking of becoming a foster parent, you are dealing with a life—a little person that will depend on you for every need. Thankyou poster "Made"..I know single women who use this only as a means to make cash. because after all everyone has bills too be paid .... there will always be people who do any profession for the money, but trust me not many will give up their privacy and homes. And if us neighbors hear the verbal abuse outside, what is going on inside the home? I'd just like to know why he is entitled to anything less than non-relative (foster) care givers receive who have absolutely no vested interest in the children. The basic rates for standard maintenance range from $450 to $700 per month depending on the age of the child. When I did traditional foster care, it was barely enough to compensate the costs for my pregnant foster daughter's needs. Here are some reasons you should consider being a foster parent of a teen foster child. I would never even think about the money if I was thinking of becoming a foster parent. killing people who take their jobs as part of a therapeutic team to foster a loving and caring environment for an abused neglected child should hold your head up high... people bring the juvenile delinquent in trouble you to count as a way to my home hoping that I may be able to help them and you want to say that what I do is not a profession... Tamara Barabasz from Durham, Nc on May 08, 2013: I didn't see a mention of therapeutic foster parenting. You must love these children as your own and if you don't it won't last long. There are also differences based on location (city vs rural for example) based on cost of living and available foster parents. There may be a few who do not make money but that is because the case workers are keeping the funds in their account and not distributing it which I may add there have been audits done to prove this occurrence in several states across this nation. This certainly does not mean a low income family is presenting a less stable or loving area in which to raise a healthy child, but the reality is it does cost money to do a variety of things when doing the job right. A difference can be made even if that child goes back to a horrible home. Do you want to be a foster parent? The reimbursement is distributed according to the needs … I have experience either as a foster parent or providing therapy for foster families in three different US states. Pay is not the importance, it's the love of a child. not your pocket books. The emotional, physical and financial toll are doing their job on me. So it can work. We became foster/kinship parents about a year ago for five of our grandchildren. They're often related to significant behavioral problems. As for the money thing? I don't know if I should contact them and ask them to take it down or what? Very informative. You will spend more than you get and it takes forever for reimbursements to start. Kentucky: The state walks through the steps to become a foster parent and offers info on payment rates depending on the level of care required. Yes I believe it is the same in most places, and of course more pay for a child with different needs. Oregon: This state has some of the highest rates in the country and the Department of Human Services shares them online. No. My Grand daughter works for CPS....she is one of those (unlucky, unpopular, underpaid) case workers who does the home visits, questioning, investigating & determining for "removal" of a child/children when reports have been made and founded.....(but keep in mind that the case must still go through the courts for definite rulings). Annual clothing allowance is also age-dependent and afforded to foster parents in the amount of $300 to $500 per year. This is instead of, not in addition to, the standard maintenance allowance. 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