[foster parent]

When A Child In The Foster Care System Has A Disability And Receives Ssi (supplemental Security Income, And It Does Not Go To The Child, What Happens To It?

[Gryph]

It goes to the guardian. If the state is the guardian, it goes to them. It should be taken into account if the parent receives such monies when the state determines what or if a parent should reimburse any part of the costs for the child.

It's a major improvement over what it was many years ago. It went to the parents and the state couldn't touch it.

[foster parent]

When A Child Is In The Foster Care System, Can The Ssi Be Used To Pay For Activities The Child May Be In, Such As Camp, Basketball, Trips, Or Even Tutoring if requested by the foster parent

Appreciate Your Help!

[echobunny89]

I am in Rhode Island and one of my visiting resource children receive SSI due to their father passing away. The mother receives the money even though the child is in the care of the DCYF and not only that but she also receives CHILD SUPPORT from the father of the 2 youngest children and somehow is keeping it but never spends it on the children. What gets me is that when the one of the children need something (clothes, haircut, shoes ect) the mother always cries poverty and it winds up falling on my shoulders to provide financially for the children for the things the state doesn't buy for them. The small amount of clothing allowance given to them isn't nearly enough (even if we shopped at a thrift store) and when I first started visiting with the 16 yr old, she hadn't had a haircut in over 2 yrs (and believe me it looked like it too). My youngest visiting resource child tells me that when her Foster Mother gets the clothing allowance check her foster sister gets the new clothes and she gets the foster sister's hand-me-downs. That has got to be SOOOO illegal! The child comes to me dressed in threadbare clothes and none of the new clothes I have sent home with her ever reappear again. Almost wonder if the Foster mother is taking the clothes back to the store and exchanging them. I don't know but I've taken to cutting off price tags and blackening out the inside tag so they can't be returned.

[TexasJingles]

Here's how it's working for us.

State has custody, so they get the SSI (what they do with it, I have no idea -- off set his cost to them?). Anyways, since we have signed placement papers, we get the SSI, but only in the max amount allowed for adoption subsidy.

The extra amount (about $45) goes into his savings account each month. We have no idea how much is in this account, very little or a lot.

After we finalize next week, we will not quailify for SSI for him for the month of Dec. because it's based on income and we exceed their limits. When that happens, we will then get his adoption subsidy amount, which is less than his SSI amount (why, I have no clue).

They will inturn give us the info to contact the SSA and get his savings amount sent to us.

Just like foster reimbursment and adoption subsidy, we have no forms or have to keep any records as to what we spend the money on (it's to be spent on him, his upkeep and needs). We don't keep the money separate from any other household money. He gets the same food as everyone else, gets enrolled in baseball, tutoring, church classes, clothes at the same places as the others, you name it, he gets the same as everyone else.

So, the state gets the SSI, but I know our foster reimbursment was a lot more than his SSI (because his foster amount is based on his level of care, not income). You cannot ask for more money just because they also get SSI.

You can check to see if the unit your child is out of has an activity fund to help out with the cost of extra activities. The county that our kids are from will reimburse us for baseball registration, camps and scouts (uniforms too) when I send them the receipts. This is until the money runs out (so, for summer camps, you have to get it in by Jan. or something).

[5dogz]

we live in Oregon and our foster son received ssi after the death of his father. his situation was unusual as his father had a fairly high-paying job before he passed away and we were told the amount our fs received was relatively high. before he came into care his mother was using this income to support herself, her son, and her drug habit. once he came into care the state began receiving the money. Part was used to pay his monthly subsidy, and the rest went into an account for him. we never knew what the monthly amount was, or how much was in the account. we were told that once we adopted him the money would be turned over to us as his parents. It must have been a significant amount, because we were also accused of wanting to adopt him for his money (guess his cw couldn't figure out any other reason a nice family would want to adopt a 12-yr-old boy with some issues - sad.) He was eventually adopted by his half-sister in another state and the money went to her.