Have you bought a bigger home to take in more kids...

No, you can't use the stipend as money to pay for a bigger mortgage. One, what happens when you don't have a placement? How will you make the mortgage payment? Two, what happens when you have a placement who, for everyone's best interests, really should be moved? But you don't move them because you need the money to pay your mortgage. That is benefitting nobody. Is there anyway to do some basic remodeling in your current home to create more room? I have a very handy DH who built 2 bedrooms on our 3rd floor where it used to be one big open room that we used as a library. So now we have an extra bedroom and a room that we currently use for storage, but at some point, will probably use for a bedroom. Kids don't need a ton of room in their bedrooms, especially if you have a nice playroom in your house. Beds, clothing, and a couple toys is really all they need. Bunkbeds work well in small bedrooms.