Foster Parenting as Employment!!!

It absolutely BOTHERS ME!!!! As a matter of fact, it INFURIATES me! My hubby and I joined the support groups after becoming fp and had to stop because we couldn't stand it when the first thing out of other people's mouths were, "do we get paid for this?" or "do we get reimbursed for babysitting?" We attended the group to learn more about these kids and how to best deal with some issues, NOT to get paid for it. As a matter of fact, our sw gets upset with us for not submitting a bill for mileage to have our kids visit with their bf's. Their office is only about 4 miles or less away from our home, it's a waste of my time to submit for that. Anyway, you will run in to MANY people that foster to "make" money and not out of the love for these kids. We just pick and choose who we stay in contact with and move on from those we figure out have bad motives. Good luck. Michelle

I think they advertise it there because that is where it will get the most exposure. I am thinking about foster/adopt and if it wasn't for the ad I am not sure I would of started thinking about it. As for people asking about $, I am sure some of those people want to be sure that it isn't a financial strain on the families resources to foster before they jump into the commitment of doing it. I think it is a natural ? to ask. (Although I am sure there are probably people in it for money reasons too.)

Before this summer it would have bothered me. It doesn't now. I spent a few weeks with my family this summer. My mom is a home day care provider. She had four young children this summer. She makes $185 per week for each of the children. It's hard work. I'm not saying she doesn't deserve/earn the money. But...the kids come to her home in the morning already fed, clothed and bathed. She doesn't have any appointments to take them to during the day, thus, she puts no miles on her car on their behalf. She has two rooms that the kids play in, plus a kitchen that they eat in, yet she gets a big tax deduction, bc her house is considered a place of business. At 5:30 everyone is gone. Now, compare that to a fp. Here we get $300 a month to care for the child 24/7, provide three meals a day, clothe, drive to appointments (some months I was putting 1000 + miles on my car just for the four kids' appointments/visits), and we deal with the fall out of the effects of the kids' abuse/neglect. Our water bill goes up from doing laundry, dishes for three meals and snacks, bathing the kids, running the shampooer. Our home is opened to them, thus we lose bedrooms that we could be using for our personal use. My car insurance goes up bc of the extra miles I put on my car, not to mention the gasoline bill! My long distance phone bill went up when calls were court mandated and the bfamily lived out of my calling plan. I'm not saying that the pay offs aren't worth it. If they weren't, I doubt many of us would be fostering. I personally feel fostering is a calling, not a job, but I feel the same way about being a nurse and I get paid very well for it. (Which, btw, I took unpaid leave for six months to foster my kids, bc their RAD behaviors got them kicked out of day care!) I know that some states pay very well to foster. Mine doesn't. In a way it's good, bc you know that if the family has regular kids (vs therapeutic), there's very little chance that they're making money "off" the kids. Some states, ILL, for example, are even recruiting families to foster and provide them with a house and expenses, plus salary. IF the ff is loving the kids, treating them as if they are their own, and teaching them the way they should, I see no reason why the ff shouldn't be compensated financially for that.