How much do they pay special needs foster parents?

I have a question how much do they pay special needs foster parents? i was told that it is double what the regular board payment is is this true? i don't want to ask my sw if it's not this is our first placement and the oldest is special needs but we get a reg boardpayment and i don't know who all knows she is spn because the placement worker said she had braces on her teeth and would need dentist trips well i called back and said no she has braces on her legs and just recently got rid of her wheelchair. she also has a shunt in her head and blind in one eye takes many many medications and needs help with daily living tasks. sweet little girl lots of work but i love her if she is suppost to get more is it worth the trouble to ask the the cw or not i am very new 3 weeks out?!?!?!? lots of love jean

Special rates vary by state and even by county. Here in OR if you want a special rate you can request one through the cw. We get a special care rate for our son's special needs that comes out to--I believe $4.30 per hour of actual time spent dealing with the special need beyond "normal" time it would take. There are caps on some of the catagories that special care rates can come under. You may spend 60 hours a month with something and get only 20 hrs. max. Your best bet is to ask the child's worker and see if you have a special care's nurse come out to assess the needs/rate with you.

Rates do vary state to state ... many states have levels of care broken out into their payment rates ... some being classified intermediate care - thus meaning extra things for medical or behaviorial needs (counseling, etc.) ... so I would definitely ask if she would qualify for the specialized rate - your worker should not be put out by this question - it is a fair one and if you don't ask and qualify for extra (which more than likely and beyond that will be spent on the child anyways) then you are the one out. :eek: Hope this helps.

I know the "max" for special needs (i.e. medically fragile, preemies, etc.) in TN is around $30.00/day.

It does vary by state and county so you may want to cross post in your state's message board. In MO foster homes can be catagorized as a Medical foster home (more training and experience required) and they would recieve an advanced rate for special needs. A "regular" foster home with a special needs child would not qualify for an advanced rate per se. Our oldest AD came from a medical foster home to our home and we are paid the regular foster placement rate.

I wish! We get an extra three dollars a day

I know that a 2 1/2 year old that wears braces on his feet, is considered "extremely" drug-affected, speech delays, no medications and is attached to foster family is on special rates at $900.00 a month. Doesn't really compare to your case we're here in Oregon, but thought I'd add to possibilities.

I am not sure I understand. Are you saying that the sw thought the child had braces on her teeth and they were actually on her legs? If this is the case, then you need a face-to-face meeting with the sw and show him/her the error. This child needs multiple services that foster care is obligated to finance. Ohio, at least my county, gives foster parents a schedule of payment, what children are entitled to. The more need the child has, the higher the stipend. Call someone because , if not, you and are child are being done a great injustice. lisajm54

I live in Canada and was surprised to see your fees for special needs. Here I am concidered to he a thereputic fosterparent which means more training and children with high medical or behavioral issues we make $2200.00 per child / month.

Kelly,Is that $2200 in Canadian? If so, that translates to around $1932. Still much higher.

We are theraputic foster parents here in TN. We have four foster children and one of them is Level 2 which means special needs. We recieve $700.00 per child per month for the 3 level 1's and we receive $1000.00/month for the level 2.

In NY, regular rate is about $500 per month; special rate is $1,000 and exception rate is $1,500 per month. Special rate is taking fs to psych and giving him his meds and monitoring him. Exceptional rate, which I'll get for my 11 yo is when they have to be constantly monitored. He set fire in home with birth family and DSS thinks he abused his sister.

Wow I guess I feel lucky! Here in PA I am a Theraputic Foster Parent (i.e. more training more paper work) I get $1680.00 a month not including mililage, dr. visits. Things like that. This is the starting rate, the longer I do the higher the pay.

You need to ask your sw because you may be able to get a subsidie. I have a down's child that requires alot of dr appt. and he gets more than his brother not twice the amount though

I had 2 siblings of a 4 pack that were on 2 different cases. I got the siblings that didnt need so much. But the other 2 went to a group home (private) and the county paid them $100 per day per child. So the group home got $6000 for the other 2 kids per month. And then when they were to be adopted out the county moved them back into a normal foster home and lowered the per diem back to the regular $14 per day per each child. So even if you take in special needs unless you are a therapeudic home you might not get an increased per diem. AJ