I for one am really tired of feeling shame about asking for what my kids need because of the belief people have that we foster for the money. Please show me where in the holy heck the profit is in this? I spend way more than I am reimbursed, and I do it willingly and expect no one to notice or praise me for it. I only ask that you just spare me the judgmental attitude that there is some type of financial gain for me in fostering - it just ain't so...
I have to say that some of the worst offenders in thinking we do this for the money are the caseworkers. Some of them guard the available extra allowances and special rates my state offers like I am asking them to hand me money out of their own bank account. It's really frustrating and discouraging.
Have any of my other readers who are foster parents who who adopted through the foster care system experienced being treated by caseworkers like you're "in it for the money"?
Has anyone in the system made you feel guilty for taking advantage of programs that are available for foster parents, such as reimbursement for certain expenses or rate adjustments for special needs children?
Luckily I've had the opposite. We are in a fortunate position financially and I did not feel comfortable accepting WIC. Casemanagers have offered it more than once when they realized we weren't getting it. Maybe its my state. It so differs from place to place.
ReplyDeleteWhile foster parents receive reimbursements, anyone with a child realizes that it's not possible to make a profit off of what they are given. Most foster parents are in it because their hearts are in the right place: http://www.kidspeace.org/Fostercare_Services_Locations.aspx?ekmensel=77931891_50_52_1326_2
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