[SarahBethsMommy]

So I got a letter from DHR today saying basically we're losing our child care subsidy on November 10. As I read it, only foster parents at the poverty level would qualify now. DH and I have looked at it and even if I quit my job, we'd still not qualify. I'll call the child care management agency tomorrow to verify this.

It just stinks. Now we'll have to use basically our whole board payment for child care, or I'll have to quit my job and stay home with him all day, which we really can't afford right now. I would LOVE to just be a SAHM, but DH really doesn't think we can. How frustrating!

[Withay]

We lost our daycare subsidy just after my first fc left. After that I had to pay out-of-pocket until I decided to work from home. That has worked well for me.

[blubutterflies03]

that stinks!

how do the expect people to help children out if the take away a vital financial help with daycare?? I already know that I spend more on my kids than I get as it is...if they TOOK away the daycare subsidy it would be penny pinching for sure. My husband is wondering IF we would adopt a child that had subsidized daycare how would be afford if after an adoption. I told him we need to take one day at a time. Sorry about that news for your state.

[potentialsinglemom]

It seems like the system wants the foster care program to fail. Amazing.

[Emmesmom]

Sorry to here that as well. What state do you live in?

[SarahBethsMommy]

Originally Posted by Emmesmom

Sorry to here that as well. What state do you live in?

We live in Alabama.

Like I said, I'll call tomorrow and figure out the whole thing. The letter is in "lawyer speak" so I'm totally confused.

[jllambert]

When we went through PRIDE 5 years ago they had just taken away the childcare subsidy. They lost so many foster homes when that happened!!
I stay home so it does not affect us, but I still think it stinks big time!! They are making it where only a home with one working parent can foster, and there just are not that many homes that can afford to have only one person working anymore!!

[ALfostermom]

i have gotten several letters also concerning the child care subsidy...and to think i complained to dhr in July about having to pay the parent portion after the subsidy which would have been about $150 a month for two kids. where if we have to start paying the full amount it would be $190 a week for my two. I am a single parent and couldn't afford it. as many others our board payment barely covers the nessities.
I guess i need to call my Dhr and see where our county stands. I fear my county will lose a lot of foster parents if we have to start paying childcare. We have very few sahm. And really can't afford to lose homes-most of our homes are full now.

[Scrapsathome]

I'm a SAHM, but our county doesn't pay for daycare either. As a matter of fact, I just had to pay the registration fee for my FS to attend pre-K that the county is requiring him to be in. How they can require that from me makes no sense, but I'm doing it and I'm also driving him a mile to the bus stop and back every day as well. They placed him and his sister as a high likelihood fost/adopt placement and are holding it over my head now that they're here. If I don't do these things then they could be yanked to a home that will.

And people wonder why I'm so vehemently opposed to electing a President who wants to massively increase the power/control of government. Oy.

Jess

[SarahBethsMommy]

Originally Posted by ALfostermom

i have gotten several letters also concerning the child care subsidy...and to think i complained to dhr in July about having to pay the parent portion after the subsidy which would have been about $150 a month for two kids. where if we have to start paying the full amount it would be $190 a week for my two. I am a single parent and couldn't afford it. as many others our board payment barely covers the nessities.
I guess i need to call my Dhr and see where our county stands. I fear my county will lose a lot of foster parents if we have to start paying childcare. We have very few sahm. And really can't afford to lose homes-most of our homes are full now.

It seems to read that if your family gross income is above 150% of the federal poverty level you won't qualify. I don't know what that means. It does say that the parental fee is increasing by $3 a week per child anyway. Did you get this letter too? It's dated October 9.

[kxl164]

I don't know if this will work where you are, but talk the child's doctor and have him/her write a letter saying that daycare is medically necessary (in some way) for the child. Whether is is because the child is developmentally delayed and the learning enriched environment is good, or whether there are social delays so being around a lot of other children is good, or whether there are behavioral issues and the consistency of going to the same place at the same time is good for the child....

I don't know how old the child, but here when issues like this arise if you get a doctor saying it would be in the child's best interest to remain in daycare, IN WRITING, then they would be obligated to at least pay attention to that and help you with the payment since this is something that the child needs, according to his/her doctor.

If you are talking about an infant it is a little bit harder, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Good Luck!

[SarahBethsMommy]

Whew! I just called and they said it doesn't affect foster parents. Apparently it will only affect those parents who receive the subsidy that aren't foster parents. I don't know why they sent the letter to foster parents then. Geez, government. SO happy though! We can keep doing this a bit longer!

[jjjjmom]

You get a child care subsidy? In CA we pay out of pocket! Where do you live, I want to move.

[ALfostermom]

Thank heavens, you had me scared neighbor. i just knew our county was going to be next. Like you said, i can contiue a little longer...yeah i had received that notice too. but my contact people at dhr are out of the office this week so i was having to wait for a translation. i guess the gov't just has a general subsidized mailing list and everyone receiving subsidy got one. You would think they could have made a note in the letter saying it didn't affect foster homes, though.

Originally Posted by SarahBethsMommy

Whew! I just called and they said it doesn't affect foster parents. Apparently it will only affect those parents who receive the subsidy that aren't foster parents. I don't know why they sent the letter to foster parents then. Geez, government. SO happy though! We can keep doing this a bit longer!

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by jjjjmom

You get a child care subsidy? In CA we pay out of pocket! Where do you live, I want to move.

amen! when i was fostering my now middle son, we paid out twice what we took in so he could go to daycare. i didn't mind, because i was very much hoping to adopt him, and we did, but i could not have done this for every child that came through my house! in CA, the base rate for a newborn is 425, but average daycare costs for a newborn are $800 a month!