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Foster parents across Oregon saw changes in their reimbursement checks starting October 1. Many of them are now receiving more money to care for children in the custody of the state, but some are receiving less to care for children who have special needs. The state is also making changes to the way they assess the level of care each child requires. Some parents who are already struggling to care for foster kids in the recession say these changes could make a tough situation even worse.
Do you have experience as a foster parent? What have the recent changes meant for you? Have you worked with children in foster care as a case worker, psychologist or medical professional? How do you see these changes affecting kids?
Tagged as: foster care · parenting
Photo credit: Jimmy Tyler / Creative Commons
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I have the privilege of providing respite care for a remarkable man and his four foster boys; a man that has given may years of his life solely to providing a safe, disciplined, warm atmosphere for an ever changing group of needy boys. His whole life, including his house, counted on the income the state provides. This change in foster care reimbursements will possibly end his ability to provide for foster kids of their special needs since his reimbursement was cut almost in half. Should he and those in his place lose the ability to give of themselves because of this decision, it will be a tragic mistake that will effect not just him, but the boys and those that are counting on this type of care for these boy. It is good for some of the providers and horrendous to very, very many others that we have taken for granted, evidently.
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In 2003 we fostered and then adopted a special needs foster child. He is moderately retared and has medical problems. Because of these issues my wife cannot work.
We currently recieve a small stipend for his care. We recently heard that the state might increase payments for these children. When we sent a letter requesting more information on this we recieved a reply that if we wanted to re-negotiate the re-negotiation would start at zero. (seemed like a veiled threat that we could lose some or all of our stipend). On my one income at a non-profit we would have a terribly hard time if his stipend was reduced.
We will always love and take care of our child (as well as our two ther children). We would do it for free. It just seems odd for the state to send a letter saying they might be able to provide more assitance and then make it impossible for us to re-negotiate.
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You are not alone. The state often makes these threats, especially relating to anything to do with money. We questioned one of our rates for an adopted child and they audited the payments of another child. This is part of the politics of dealing with the state.
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I am a DHS caseworker and have worked for the agency for 7 years. I have seen a lot of abuse of the system, with some foster providers pushing for higher and higher rates, getting thousands of dollars monthly in some cases. I have directly observed that some of the folks receiving the high rates were not doing a lot to actually help the child. Essentially the money was more a fee for dealing with inconvenient and difficult kids. A very big problem with the old way is that many children ended up being tagged with diagnoses and on medications that will effect them their whole lives. That being said I see a lot of really good foster providers and I personally am glad that the regular rates have gone higher. Now perhaps foster parents can buy kids winter coats and get them involved more with extracurricular activities.
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Isn't there something that can be done to foster parents who are not using the money to care for the children properly? Can't a foster parent be fired?
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I am curious what children being tagged with diagnosis and on medications has to do with the compensation of foster parents. We do not make the diagnosis and dont perscribe the medication. This is another example of foster parents carrying the cross of the victimization of these children. I am offended that you would bring these issues up on this form and suggest that this is somehow connected with this rate redesign issue. Again it shows that you are not objective.
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i believe the point is that this will be a more objective process?
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Best not to label them, right?
How about if we just ignore the psychological, emotional and physical damage the children have endured to make sure they aren't "labeled"?
Best not to label them by getting them the care and services they need. The label would be just terrible. Worse than the lives of depression, BPD, PTSD, social difficulties, interpersonal difficulties, sense of loss and abandonment, failure to integrate and developmental delays that they would face without treatment.
You've been a caseworker for 7 years. Big deal.
Take a foster child with behavioral, emotional or developmental issues for 7 days.
Perhaps this should be one of the prerequisites for becoming a caseworker: a few years of providing foster care for the most difficult children.
You might gain a bit of empathy.
You might see the children as something more than folders in your case file.
You might understand that those of us who provide care don't get to put it all aside at 5:00 to go home and have a nice, quiet dinner with our spouses.
You might understand what it is to have to go without a nice dinner out because the food throwing and the screaming disturb the other patrons.
You might understand how exhausting it is to have to keep your eyes on a disturbed child every second of every day without a break.
You might understand what it feels like to have a child melt down in a grocery store, kick the neighbor's kid, hurt the dogs, damage your property, soil your carpets.
You might start doing YOUR JOBS and help us rather than hinder.
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Just a reminder that foster care payments are tax free.
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This comment was added for what reason? This is a 24/7 365 day a year job. Many times we are taking into our homes, children/young adults that many would not even babysit for an hour. Many of the children in care are not the beautiful little baby with dimples in a pink or blue blanket as is the picture most of the public have in mind. This is a very difficult and complicated job for which most Foster Parents are not adequately reimbursed and thus are subsidizing the State for the care of the children taken into custody!
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Judge and Jury? I would remind you that foster parents didnt lobby for tax free compensation. You might be a caseworker but you obviously are bias. Your organization, DHS Certified these foster parents. These are not payments. It is a compensation for services and room and board.
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Sorry if I sound biased... I guess I am when it comes to kids getting what they need. I think any of us would say that these are hard issues to deal with. The reality is that any system has corruption, waste and problems. There are different perceptions of what the monthly rates are, some think of them as paychecks, some think just room and board. Just depends I guess. I have always felt that the basic rates were WAY too low, and have been amazed and awed that the folks receiving those are good and kind enough to do the job regardless. The problem with the prior system was the unevenness that was mentioned. There really were a few blatant examples of abuses that made everyone else look bad. My guess would be that the new system will have to be ironed out so that people who really need more funding will have it.
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Your employer sets the standard for the needs of the children. If you want the needs handled, educate fosterparents better. Provide funds for better services. By creating a system that simply puts all foster parents on one compensation scale you simply compound the problem.
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I find it odd dialog about "Fraud" from an organization that certifies, and monitors - the people they are accusing of fraud.
Few realize that "Foster Care" is a business and has to be run like one with specialized needs on an individual basis. The care is not like a job (8 hours), but is 24x7x365. It involves paperwork, documentation, hearings, meetings, phone conferences, caseworker meetings.
Yet some idiots are trying to talk about this like a "Job", taxes? Humm, lets see, the state, who collects the taxes to "pay for care" taxing that "care", sounds a bit self serving doesn't it?
Now if a Foster Care parent is expected to provide "excellence" in care, but has their hands financially tied, and if the Foster Care is not a profitable business - what level and kind of care providers will we attract to these "special needs" kids?
Want "bottom of the barrel" then pay it. What does that lead to? I have a friend in this Business - I've seen his "rates" halved while "The Employee Class" expands by thousands, - but who is actually providing the care? What is the ratio of Foster Homes to Employees Monitoring and Certifying, and if there is "Fraud", who is responsible for that?
I am reading comments from 8hr a day employees about 24 hour a day service providers. Sorry it is what it is. I think there is a problem being created that will be solved later by a Private Corporation at 5x the cost to the taxpayer, followed up by new rules that will inspire more children to get into the system. Sounds horrific until you realize its been done, and is how Corporation "milk" the system for profits (See Capitalism - A Love Affair) recently released. It is stunning.
Foster Parents should have their rates doubled so that they can be profitable and hire and expand the resources necessary to service these kids that deserve OUTSTANDING care. But that is my opinion. But - noboby it talking about the fact Foster Parents take on kids for a rate 3x lower than the institutions they don't blink and eye at paying for? Corruption? Fraud? Dig deeper people. And "Think" about it.
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This DHS worker is not a policy maker. She is just working her butt off for our kids and actually cared enough to log into this discussion. I applaud her.
DHS as a system can only provide the resources that your representatives provide them. Next time you want to use your voice to actually make change, call your rep. and let them know how you feel.
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This interview is off the mark.
This issue is not about carpet cleaning and cereal and kids leaving the water on! This is about foster parents being compensated for a very difficult, 24/7 job. Foster parents who take this work seriously and commit to being a REAL parent for these kids cannot typically work a normal job. If parents have multiple special needs children a job outside the home is impossible.
Ten years ago at the Oregon Foster Care Summit it was so clear that part-time semi-volunteer foster parents could not be recruited at a fast enough rate to keep up with the increasing demand. It was clear that the system needed to change --- a decade ago--- because working people -- at any rate that is paid -- can't do an adequate job with special needs children. Not only that, foster parents need to be more educated and have more training. Foster homes need to be improved in every way.
If foster parents have been abusing the system --- taking big rates without doing the work --- they should be fired. But to set a policy based on what some are doing wrong is just nonsense.
The state must dedicate more money to this system. And simultaneously they must raise the bar for foster parent recruitment.
If the public saw how our foster children are often living --- in over crowded and often substandard foster homes with under educated and unskilled foster parents they'd be in shock. Are there many, many great foster parents who love and care for their kids? Yes! But the system is so broken.
Is there hope for change? Until the legislature steps up and demands changes the outcomes for foster children in Oregon will continue to be nightmarish. The only thing that will turn the system around is talented, trained, educated and loving foster parents who are compensated in a fair way to do this difficult (but often rewarding) work.
I sadly cannot recommend anyone consider being a foster parent. I honor the work that good foster parents do. Many are heroes. But the typical person -- or family -- isn't cut out for the work this requires at the rates that are now being paid.
Jonathan Kipp
Former foster parent & foster parent recruiter -
I agree Jonathan.
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I agree completely! Until this system is rebuilt from the ground up; we will struggle. Developing "Professional Foster Parents" is a possible solution with well trained people reimbursed at a fair rate for the very important work we do 24/7 365 days of the year. This is more than a full time job.
I too cannot recommend anyone consider being a Foster Parent.
Please have another show to further the discussion on this topic.
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yes it is not about carpet cleaning and miele spares breaking. But, excuse me, all the parents are doing very hard jobs! When you choose to be a parent you should understand the responsibility and do it for pleasure only, not expecting some money for that!!
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As a new foster parent of two siblings that have behavior issues I am not happy with the rate that I get for my guys. I have to pay for preschool out of the 640 per child. I have to get their clothes, food, travel to many doctors appointment, not to mention the raise in my utilities. I love the boys and will do what I have to do right by them. I am frustrated that I can't afford to pay someone to do respite care so that I can get a break.
I asked my certifier and caseworker for help with behavior and safety issues. No one has helped me with this. I was told I couldn't get a CANS assesment until after January.
I am very disappointed in the process of the DHS system. I don't know if I will be able to continue to be a foster parent.
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One of the foster children I know makes approximately $1,000 of damage to the home and his and the rest of the family's belongings each month. No other foster parents would take him. If he were not in this home, he would be in an institution. It doesn't make sense that $800 could cover the care for this child.
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I have thought about volunteering as a foster parent in the past, but didn't think i could afford to do it with the old rate. I think the new rate system may enable more people to be foster parents. I can see the difficulty in the change for special needs caregivers, but overall i hope this actually helps the system by enabling more people to volunteer.
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This so called "raise", that Foster Parents received in the base rate, is actually a "cost of living" type increase to bring Oregon up to what the actual cost of raising a child is today per the Federal Government standard. Oregon had one of the lowest reimbursement rates in the U.S. Foster Parents have been subsidizing the STate for the care of these children for years.
The CANS assessment determines the added funds allowed to provide for the increased needs of the child. This assessment can be challenged but it takes months and there may be no change. Again, the Foster Parents are footing the bill. In these tough times, many are finding it difficult to make ends meet and may need to decide not to continue fostering.
The children in our homes are more difficult today than 5 years ago. Children are coming directly out of residental treatment or juvenile detention directly into our homes yet the Foster Parents are not being reimbursed for the increased level of need and supervision these children/young adults need for them, us and the community to remain safe.
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Amen.
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I thought the state had insurance for any damage to the home?
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If you provide proof that the child in question made the damage plus at least two bids from contractors to repair the damage the state may decide to cover the repairs.
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These are two separate issues. Increasing the base rate has been needed for years. This is a switch and bait.
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As many others have said the base rate should have been increased years ago. For those of you reading these articles but are not closely involved with the foster care system let me clarify something for you.
The base rate is to cover raising a "normal" foster child. A "normal" foster child (with the new CANS system) has had at least one tramatic incident when the casework took the child from their parents, may not be able to talk, may not be potty trained even past the age of 5, eats food from the garbage can, wets in the corner of the room, screams during the night, and many other characteristics not found in most children. The base rate is for caring for these children.
It does not cover the training and support needed to help these damaged children grown into kids and later adults that can function in our society.
The special rate which all kids should be receiving based on their real needs (not the state budget based limited needs) is what was used to help the foster parent get the training and support required to effectively address each child's needs.
How many of you (not including foster parents) know how to address the needs of kids with sensory integration issues? What is the difference between ADD and FAE and how are the treatments different? What are the environmental triggers of a chiild with autism? What are the differences between a child with autism and a child with BPD? These are all things (plus many more) you need to know when caring for these "normal" foster kids, while only receiving the base rate.
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For the DHS employee:
There may be abuses. It is YOUR responsibility to police them. Fix it.
Children do not come into the foster care system because they came from lives full of happiness, light, lollipops and gumdrops. They have emotional and behavioral issues borne of the very circumstances that brought them into the system. It is horrendously callous of you to fail to recognize that fact. As foster parents, we scrape and claw and fight for every single benefit we can get for the children in our care -- we expend no less effort than we did for our own children. They deserve that.
The DHS complains that they cannot get enough people to do foster care and those that start often quit after fewer than two years. I can tell you a few of the many reasons why:
1. Unanswered voicemails & emails.
2. Caseworkers who don't ever show up to our home to check on the children.
3. Information that is incomplete, that comes too late or does not come at all.
4. Paperwork that needs to be signed before the children go to medical appointments but is not, so the appointment is canceled or delayed.
5. Having to fight with DHS to get any and everything done.
For the person that brought up the fact that the rates are tax free: That might have some bearing if the money were income. It is not. It is for the children, not for us. It is not income. If it were income, we would stop doing this and I would go back to regular employment where I could make a lot more money working 8 instead of 24 hours a day. We are LOSING money in the absence of that second income. It's not "free money" for us. It is not even enough to really raise children in a manner we think they deserve.
We hear so much news about the horrible foster parents who abuse and neglect the children in their care that the public has the perception that all foster parents are the same. We do not hear about the 99.9% of foster parents who sacrifice so much to provide safe, sane and healthy homes for children whose lives have been wrecked by the actions of adults around them. -
agree mostly here, but i wouldn't be hard on dhs workers. they have been cut, too. we as a state do not provide enough funding to staff them adequately. in fact they are only expected to meet a certain level of supervision, and the state knows this.
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I am a retired child psychologist who has been doing foster care for the past four years. I work with at-risk-teen girls. I can relate to all that has been said. This is a 24/7 365 day a year job. The girls I have try to sneak out windows, do drugs, drink, skip school, steal, lie, run away, cut themselves, and overdose to name a few of their behaviors. I am happy the rates have gone up. I have only been through the CANS process once. It took over 2 hours to complete. The thing I do like is that the special rates will follow the child and the new foster parent won't have to wait forever to get paid. I have lost $3,000.00 plus because the DHS worker did not do the paperwork on time and the State will only go back 3 months in payment. The money we get is to cover food, clothes, sundries, allowances, and sports. The children get two clothing allowances over the number of years they are in foster care. We need changes.These are difficult kids and believe me even with my training these girls can be trying. I hear what is being said. Now is the time to focus on a solution. What needs to be changed, what type of training is needed, how do we do the training are only some of the questions to be answered. So, in the best possiblie world what would a good to great foster care system look like? Maybe a topic for another show.
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great idea for a show.
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I have been a foster parent for over 20 years, and usually work with up to 5 at risk foster kids. With the new rate design, I have a choice to make, feed my foster children and pay or pay my mortgage. Of course, I have to feed my children, but soon I will lose my home. When the new rate design was implemented, my income was cut in half. Most of the kids in my home, have been with me for over 1 year. The state is forcing me to quit working with at risk youth, and turn my back on the kids that I serve. My son that I took guardianship over, but I can't afford to keep him in house. After the state implemented the new rate design, I'm getting 2/3 less for supervising him in my care. I tried to talk the state about my situation, and they said that they were not empathetic to my concerns. They said that I should have another source of income. How could I have another source of income, when my kids need support 24/7. My last kids leaves for school at 8:20 a.m. and my first kid returns at 3:00 p.m. Most of my life, I have been supporting at risk kids. I pray that the state is able to revisit the rate design and come with an alternative plan that supports the foster home and foster child.
"T"
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It sounds like there are many unhappy Foster Parents out there. One reminder, there is no law requiring citizens to provide Foster Care in this State (or any other State).
In addition, one of the DHS policies for Foster Care providers is that they be self sufficient without the Foster Care money, so for those of you who think this is the mortgage payment (on the back of the state, and at the expense of those you supposedly provide care for) think again. This payment is purely a reimbursement for the costs incurred caring for the child. It is not an income subsidy intended to match what you think you could earn in the job market.
In addition to these payments, countless organizations, including DHS, provide school supplies, clothing vouchers, and Christmas presents to Foster Kids.
Under the new system, DHS invested an additional 13 million dollars in to Foster care payments, and the average rate, for special needs as well as basic care, increased by over $300 per child per month. Furthermore, according to the DHS web site, people who take children from residential treatment, or other institutions are eligible for an "enhanced rate" for the first 21 days, that rate exceeds forty dollars a day (until they can get a CANS screening). At that time the rate may go up or down depending on the actual needs of the child.
It is really unfortunate that the children of this state are at the mercy of the people on this forum who claim to be Foster Parents. I do hope you “quit your jobs” and go to work elsewhere, Oregon’s children deserve better.
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I am the foster parent of two children that were recieving special rate until 10/1. Using the CANS assessmet one qualified at the lowest rate, $212.00, and the other did not qualify at all.
What this means in REAL money terms is that we are left with the same expenses as we had on 9/1/09 and significantly less money to provide them. I am not talking about food or shelter here I am talking about gas, dental and mental health. And we travel over 400 miles per moth for medical and mental health treatment and pay out of pocket for NECESSARY mental health and NON COSMETIC Orthodonture that OHP does not cover.
I find it interesting that the state "gave" most foster children more money at the exact same time it basically robbed money from those children with the greatest needs.
I am hearing from several caseworkers that the assessment for older children relies far more on the interview with the child that the fosterparent. I am also told that younger children who can not be interviewed ARE qualifying special rate where older childern with HIGHER needs are not.
I think that the real problem here is that the CANS assesment tool.CANS was not developed to assess troubled children in forster care. But I think it is being used because it is almost impossible to get any payment higher that the lowest rate ($212.00) unless a foster child is a sexual preditor, asaultive, a fire setter, self mutilating, or otherwise presents a significant DANGER to him/her self and/or those around him/her self.
And even these extreamly high risk kids will still not likely qualify for the highest rate ($850) because children at this rate would almost certainly be incarcerated. The rate for level 2 is $414.00.
And this is where the problem is. CANS was not developed for our childrens needs and is an ineffective tool for foster care. CANS is not being use not to help children. The purpose of CANS is to save the state of Oregon money.
Here is my opinion about saving money: We can spent the approprate amount on each child NOW or build more prisons and mental hospitals to house them later...
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On average foster homes that care for children without a disability get 500/month per child. A DD foster home for a child with a disability will get between 2000 and 8000 a month depending on level of disability. This includes any special rate and social security payments. This is in the Multnomah/Washington County area.
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Oh yes I forgot to add, all of it is untaxed.
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Wow you must be a Foster Parent from outside the portland metro area or you work for DHS. You obviously are ignorant of many facts that you can read form prior posts. I will not waste my time repeating them. I am certain that you dont have the best interests of the child as the for front of your arguement. If your complaint is about others making more money than you or what you think they should make, you should definately get out of fostercare or social work or both, sad.
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Despite the fact that this article is written before sevarl months, but it is still interesting for me bacause I have not known about these changes. It is not a surprise why this question has so created so many discussions. Personally these changes have a huge affect for me and for this reason I will definitely try to find more information about this reform. Thanks a lot for the informative article and great discussions and keep up publishing these informative posts in the nearest future too. Respectfully, Harold Mutton from Couri insurance
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Comments are now closed.
This has been very difficult for medical foster homes, people who have opened their homes to long-term care of extremely physically and/or mentally disabled children, many of whom require round the clock medical care. Many had their rates slashed to almost nothing. These are children you can't care for adequately with the meager funds one receives with "regular" foster care stipends. Without these medical homes, most of these children would be institutionalized at great expense and harm to the child. This was a really ill-advised change from emphasizing community-based care. Fortunately, some of these children can be changed to the DD system, which prevents them being institutionalized. There are already way too few medical foster care homes in the state of Oregon. The ones I know of have many children more than are normally allowed in a foster home. The foster parents work full time with these children who are quadraplegic, are on ventilators and/or on tube feedings. These foster homes allow children to grow up in a real family and attend public schools when otherwise they would be placed in hospitals or nursing homes. I think this change shows how little we value children, especially severely disabled children. I'm sure the parent caring for an "average" foster child needs a larger stipend. (I don't know if they are still $300 per month, but you try raising any child on that amount of money.) But it was irresponsible and immoral to cut the stipends that allow foster parents to care for these medically needy children. And it sounds like the person who is evaluating the special rates for foster children does not have a clue what it takes to raise a special needs child. I'm sure that many foster parents who are unable to switch their children to the DD system will not be able to afford to care for these children, and there will be even fewer homes available.