[buttascotchbaby]

I thought this article was a wonderful resource to have when the uneducated start talking about how much foster parents are "making" off their kids

Hawaii underpays foster parents too | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

[committedsoul]

I have to say that their rates are a little off. I am in Maine and I don't receive anywhere near $548 for my 2 y/o. Its less than that.

However, i cannot complain. Its more than what some states give.

[jbee]

holy cow, i realized we were lucky but didn't know how lucky! we get 1120 per 'regular' kid a month and 1680 per therapeutic.
how can people afford to do this work on what they are paying? no wonder they are always looking for more good foster parents!

[hkolln]

Man I wish I got that much! We get 300/month right now from Idaho...big whoopie!

[SHAMROX]

Yes, we don't get much in WA but it could be worse. I get $575 for each of my kids but they are level II...level I is $374. Its ridiculous...I spend way more to take care of them and to provide for them than I receive.

I just got an email from my adoption social worker. She said "we have to ask this, but would you be willing to adopt ___ and ____ w/o an adoption support contract?" I answered honestly as she requested and said that I don't know how I'd support them w/o it. I've stated that for 6 years, since my fp orientation.

She writes me back and says that adoption support doesn't pay for childcare, but will "consider" it. Excuse me, I don't think all foster parents are independently wealthy enough to pay $1000 at least on just childcare.

What in the world? I don't mean to get so riled up, it is just so frustrating. I got into being a foster-adopt parent b/c social worker after social worker told me "don't worry if you don't make much, there's adoption support"....???

[blubutterflies03]

I figured out per day we are getting between $12-$15 a day to foster. For summer camp alone I came out spending $400 for each child i had out of pocket. I spend alot on gas driving them to camp or daycare and we like to "spoil" our kids and do something every weekend with them. You have to love the children and be in it for THEM....cuz if anybody is making money off of them, gosh, i don't understand.

[buttascotchbaby]

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

I figured out per day we are getting between $12-$15 a day to foster. For summer camp alone I came out spending $400 for each child i had out of pocket. I spend alot on gas driving them to camp or daycare and we like to "spoil" our kids and do something every weekend with them. You have to love the children and be in it for THEM....cuz if anybody is making money off of them, gosh, i don't understand.

Thank you! That is exactly my point, and why I posted the article My kids (just for the Summer) are in a theater group (every day rehearsal), swim lessons and we try to do special things too -heck, a movie night (at the theater) is easily $50! I make every effort to give my foster kids the same opportunities that I would my bio kid and it gets expensive! I was driving them to and from rehearsal every day (the two older boys) but it was costing me $20+ a DAY! That is $100 a week, $400 a month.... Sooo... welcome to the wonderful world of public transportation, boys!

One of the things I realized from the article is I thought we had it bad here, in Hawai'i (and our foster board payment has not increased in over 20 years!), but after seeing some of the other states, we are doing OK!

[xxsurroundedbyxy]

In Arkansas, we get $400/mo (or $13.33 a day which is less than what a daycare is paid per day for a child). There is the free medical, free lunches or WIC, and a small clothing allowance.......but not enough to cover the extras others have said, any entertainment, the extra groceries, electric/water bill, cost of furniture and replacements as needed, car seats and supplies for little ones, etc etc etc.

The sad thing is that it is only slightly higher for teens in care and actually LESS for infants. What?!?! Diapers, wipes, baby food, etc would eat up the $350-$375 that newborns receive.

Kim

[ranoutofnames]

They were also off on the rate for my state (Kansas). We actually get $560/mo (30-day month). Trying to feed my 16yr old foster son on that amount... PLEASE! He's a big eater and will eat anything not nailed down.

[SHAMROX]

Why my first foster daughter was a newborn and had to go into the hospital, the male nurse getting her all set up in her room asked me about foster parenting...he said "I figured its a good way to supplement the income" and I made it clear that if you aren't in it to help the kids, then you're in it for the wrong reason.

For one, the kids must come first, which they won't if you're doing it for the "money" and two, you don't get enough to cover what you're spending anyway.

I get tired of people thinking it's a good way to get "extra" money or worse yet, that I'm DOING IT for the money.

[hrisme]

Originally Posted by blubutterflies03

I figured out per day we are getting between $12-$15 a day to foster

I calculated it for Utah & it's about the same daily rate here. For a 3-hour preschool session, with typically developing children, I get $10.00 per day. For any additional time it's $3.00 per hour--so $15.00 would get you about 5 hours of care. For private tutoring, typically children with special needs, I charge $12.00 an hour. Respite care depends on the situation--usually I charge $8-$10 an hour. My rates are at the middle range, nowhere close to the highest in the area.

I would love to do foster care when I have my own home (a couple years out, probably), but would have to do a home-based child care to be able to stay home full time--and here they will not allow you to do child care and foster care at the same time.

How do those of you who foster afford daycare or preschool? Does the state cover it?

[blubutterflies03]

Originally Posted by ranoutofnames

They were also off on the rate for my state (Kansas). We actually get $560/mo (30-day month). Trying to feed my 16yr old foster son on that amount... PLEASE! He's a big eater and will eat anything not nailed down.

I know here in Louisiana if you have a "big eater" they will give you extra to compensate, but I think it has to be approved by the judge.

[Hadley2]

Language is everything. No one should ever say any foster parent is "paid." No foster parent anywhere in the US is "paid" or gets any kind of "compensation." It doesn't exist. Foster parents are "partially reimbursed" for expenses, no more.

During our training, it was made quite clear that the fc subsidy is reimbursement, not payment. We are not employees and the money is not considered income.

[wohiomom]

I'm in Ohio doing foster care with our county agency. The chart has Ohio at what must be the minimum level. Our per diem rate is quite a bit more. In fact from the other replies our county is generous. We have a 20 month old foster daughter. Our per diem which includes a diaper allowance is $30.50 per day so that roughly $900 a month. We also get reimbursed some for mileage to visits and appts. But to put that in perspecitive, I'm also doing daycare for the summer for another foster mom and I get paid $30 a day for a one child around 7hrs a day.

[jbee]

ohiomom we also get milage to visits, appts, taking kids to work, our training, as long as the kid is in the car.
it is 33 cents a mile but people in our agency are complaining still. they complain about everything. i wish they would get 12-15 dollars a day instead of the 40/60 we get. maybe then they would shut up. and then they complain about having to buy the kids clothes, pay for all the camps and extras. but we get paid really well and i wish they would recognize that. i don't complain at all. i think we are actually making money at the end of the month.
we run daycare from our home and charge 100/ week here for non infants, so we are making about the same from foster care as our 'real job'. both of us stay home and do the daycare so we can make up to 600/wk, with our fss we get 560/week for them total.