[timleenettesue]

We have a new placement (he has been here two weeks). We found out that our current agency (local DHS - which we love for the most part) is going to loan our bed to a private agency. They want us to have receipts for everything. We have never had to do this before. And on top of that we have to give him an allowence (our own kids don't get allowences - just not the way we run our house) even though he is only four. This is going to be so much more paper work. I do a lot of shopping at garage sales and mom2mom sale, they don't give receipts. So the signing worker, who came out last night, said I should get a receipt book and carry it with me (what a pain).

Is this normal? Do they really hold foster parents to this? If this turns into a nightmare of paperwork, we most likely will not take any more placements from this agency.

Would love your input, so would my hubby!!!!

[CaddoRose]

It sounds crazy. I do enough stuff that I would completely fail at keeping track of where every little penny went that I spend on the kids. Thankfully, we do not have to do this. I don't do an allowance either, so that would be a no for me. I buy what the kids want that we can afford.

[stevenstwin]

The receipts do sound like a pain, but as for allowance, we are required here to give one. AND we aren't allowed to with-hold it for any reason, AND we are told how much it has to be (which is more than I give my bio kids). However, I wonder if you are allowed to do something like putting it aside in a bank account for him because he is so young?

[mamachell]

I'm not completely understanding: are they loaning your "bed" to a new child or is the child you currently have from this agency?

If the child isn't with you (and even after they're placed), you do always have a say in your placements. If you feel it won't work for your family let the cw know. They can't make you take any placements; it's your home after all.

Also, we have to give our fd an allowance. Since she's 1 she gets $1 per week. I just put $20 in there every few months and that covers it. For your 4 year old, don't actually give it to him. Just set up a piggy bank and put it in there. Neither he or your other children need to know about it. Just log it like you're supposed to.

[potentialsinglemom]

Ours is $20 a month. They actually sign for it when the child gets to a certain age.

Receipts have to be kept for clothing only. We have to buy $40 of clothing or diapers monthly. I have the receipts, but have only been asked for them once.

Is CPS loaning your bed or have they just decided to contract with the CPA.

[reesegayla]

we have to give our children a $30 allowance each month but we dont' actually "give it to them" we buy them toys or do family activities with it. We also have to provide reciepts for the clothes that we are required to buy each month ($50) but they are not allowed to be used clothes so that eliminates the reciept issue. I do buy second hand clothes but only when they need things above and beyond their monthly requirement. It really wasn't that bad once I figured out a system.

[stevenstwin]

Originally Posted by reesegayla

we have to give our children a $30 allowance each month but we dont' actually "give it to them" we buy them toys or do family activities with it. .

Oh, we were told that was DEFINITELY against the rules. We had to give $11 a week, and it was total free spending money of the child's own choice. Family activities are separate. But I had a teen, so we ran into another problem...all the money he made at his part time job was ALSO required to be his to make all decisions with. (I wanted to have him put 1/2 of it in savings, and they wouldn't let me!)

[timleenettesue]

We did not know at the time of placement that our bed (case) was going to the new agency. I don't feel like moving him would be in his best interest at all with all the issues he has. He has been through so much already.

The new agency does not yet have it's own foster families, so they will borrow beds from the local DHS. We are still licensed with our local DHS, but have to answer to the new agency while they hold the case.

I just feel that they don't trust their foster families by making all these rules. I have never been questioned by our local DHS if I was supporting the children in my home the way I am supposted to. Our children always have more than enough of everything. It just feels like it's a slap in the face.

[stevenstwin]

Originally Posted by timleenettesue

I just feel that they don't trust their foster families by making all these rules. I have never been questioned by our local DHS if I was supporting the children in my home the way I am supposted to. Our children always have more than enough of everything. It just feels like it's a slap in the face.

Yes, I can see what you mean by that! That is one way in which ours was pretty good. The clothing allowance was about $68 a month, and I asked if I'd have to "prove" what I spent, and they assured me that as long as he wasn't running around in under-sized rags, they trusted me. They were also quick to point out that if I, say, bought him a winter coat one month I wouldn't necessarily have to buy him anything the next month. The only think we actually ever needed receipts for was his $750/year recreation budget, and they did get a little weird about that one.

[BZmom7]

We also have show receipts for both allowence and clothing. Our fs is only 3yrs. old....so he gets $13 monthly allowence and $42 for clothing. The allowence, we were told can go for things like toys and such up until he turns 5yrs. old...once he's 5yrs. old then they want us to actually give it to him and help him start learning how to spend/save money...but it can go for movies and things like that.

We can buy the clothes anywhere as long as we have receipts....now...I do have some hand-me-downs and thats ok, but I can't "claim" them in the clothing allowence. And lets face it, $42 a month really doesn't go that far for clothes.

As far as the paperwork..it's really not that hard. What I do is...get an envelope put the month on the front, and just toss all the receipts in there. When I go out shopping...I always put fs's things first in the checkout and ask the clerk to sub-total the amount...so I can just highlight it when I get home. It does sound like a pain and i've never had to show receipts...but...once you get used to it, it's not that hard. It's just habit now with me..and even the rest of my kids know how to set things on the belt at the checkout...lol.

Good luck, and I sure hope you don't stop fostering over what really could be an easy thing. Lord knows every foster parent lost means childrens lives are impacted.