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Ohio Cuts Funding to Foster and Foster-Adoptive Families
Ohio Cutting Funds to Help Foster In the latest sad story of state budgets getting desperate, Ohio is planning cuts that will directly and negatively impact the well being of foster and adoptive families across the state.
After last year’s raise from the $250 per month to $300 a month–a raise twenty years coming–the stipend for families adopting foster children will be cut to $215 per month.
This is just one example of the negative repercussions of multiple funding cuts to social services in Ohio. These kinds of stipends are made available to assist families adopting foster children with various costly special needs. Usually, the money doesn’t come close to covering the added expenses families take on when adopting these children, but it can help to offset those costs, which in turn, gives families who might otherwise not be able to afford to adopt the encouragement they need to give a child a forever home.
For example, one adoptive mom of six has a four-year old son whose sensory disorder puts him at high risk of hurting himself. The special padded bed he needs will cost her $7000. She is seeking state help to buy the bed, but this year’s cuts could make it all but impossible for her.
I know that times are tough and states need to be careful. But given the tiny percentage of government money spent on the area of social services–particularly the specific funds for foster and foster-adopt families, I can’t help but feel our priorities are all wrong if we cut these programs. In a tough economy, it’s these already vulnerable people on the margins who become even more vulnerable and will fall through the cracks at greater rates. Keeping existing families in tact, and helping many children in the state’s care move onto to private family care–even if a little state help follows, would be a better long-term financial decision, not to mention a more humane one.
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7 Comments
Bill commented on Jul 13 09 at 7:09 pmMother of six? How the hell do you get approved to adopt one kid, let alone six, when you can’t afford them? I hold group homes in the same regard as “puppy mills”. They’re nothing but a way for the owner to make a quick buck. Just like the dogs, the kids get minimal attention unless it’s inspection time. The owner gets some perveted sense of pleasure at doing a “good deed” and the kids get nothing.
Johannah commented on Jul 13 09 at 9:13 pmHaving six children is not the same thing as running a group home. And being able to afford them, their food, housing, clothing, and reasonable entertainment, does not mean you can afford everything. Suddenly needing a seven thousand dollar bed would be a shock to most family budgets. I only have two kids, and I couldn’t pay for that. Many people, once they adopt a child from foster care or begin fostering, feel a strong pull to continue being there for kids that need a home. And you don’t know the age spread either. Friends of mine with six kids had three, sent them off to college, and adopted three more- teens who would otherwise have been unlikely to find a permanent home.
ChiLaura commented on Jul 13 09 at 10:10 pmAmen, Johannah! I couldn’t figure out what Bill there was talking about when he referred to “group homes.” As you say, I think that a $7000 bed would put a lot of families into bad financial straits. Thank God for people like this Ohio woman, who take in kids that few others want.
Shannon LC Cate commented on Jul 13 09 at 11:46 pmThanks for the tip, Bill. I’ve been looking for a way to make a quick buck. I’ll look into this fostering a high-, special needs child for the easy $2,500 per year!
Bluster commented on Jul 14 09 at 8:20 am‘In a tough economy, it’s these already vulnerable people on the margins who become even more vulnerable and will fall through the cracks at greater rates.’
Well said. And that’s true, even when you’re not talking about foster parents. It’s times like this when the ‘Bill’s’ in our society make their point that they wouldn’t waste their time on the ‘rabble’ out there.
But I’m willing to bet ol’ Bill goes to church every Sunday, to pray for himself.
PlumbLucky commented on Jul 14 09 at 9:02 amYeah, but going to church makes you holy about as well as being physically in your garage makes you a car ;-).
kindness commented on Oct 29 11 at 9:06 amI live in canton ohio we have to stop cps / family court cps is all about lies / money I would like for everyone to know some kids do need foster care some kids don’t need foster care I would like for everyone to know we need to all come together to help parents that there kids in wrongfully we need to help parents fight to get there kids back that was put for adoption / sale wrongfully I would like for everyone here in ohio to contact me we need to get trumbull county children services closed I’m very sick a baby girl was raped on the inside of the building trunbull children services is still open the worker is still on the job no investigation has been started yet please in ohio I need u to contact me let’s all come together to justice for baby girl my e-mail kindnessohio@att.net
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