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I'm sure it is different everywhere, but I'll tell you my situation (and I tell you how it affects both the child and the parents, financially). My 15 yo foster son was in a regular foster home. Everything that he needs is covered by the governemnt - all health care, schooling, some money for recreation, etc. and access to scholarships when he graduates. The foster parents were paid about $2000 per month. Now he's been moved to us and we are considered "kinship care" because we applied for him specifically, even though we are unrelated. He has all the same benefits, but WE only get about $800 per month. Once he is TPR'd, they will be asking us to assume private guardianship. At that point, his benefits are decreased - he has a yearly limit on his access to certain services(no limit while a "foster child), but he'll still have the same benefits at age 18 (scholarships and such), since guardianship legally ends whent he child turns 18. IF we made a combined gross income of less than $60,000, we'd recieve the same rate. Since we make over that amount, we will recieve NOTHING. Now, if we were to adopt him (and that would require his consent, which we would never get since he's so attached to the bios), he'd lose ALL those benefits and we would also recieve nothing for support. He'd be 100% out of the system and our full responsibility.
SOO...I'd love to assume private guardianship, or even adopt him, but I'll resist as long as a I can, since I don't want to lessen his access to the services he needs. And certainly I can provide for him better with the stipend from the government!
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