Foster Care payments cut off at age 18
Posted Mar 2, 2011 by anonymous | 130 views | 0 comments
We have an Special Education foster son who has been living with us since he was 5 years old. Due to physical and emotional trauma he has been delayed a year in school. He is presently a Junior in Highschool, doing well and unfortunately just turned 18 years old. Because he won't graduate until after his 19th birthday all foster care payments have been stopped. We have two of his siblings as well who will be in the same catagory within the next two years. We are not doing foster care for the money,(you couldn't pay me enough to do this) but the monthly reimbursement makes it possible for us to meet the financial needs of not only this teenager but the other two as well. When asked what are we to do, we were told to basically suck it up and either kick him out or continue to support him ourselves. My complaint is more in the line of how many other faithful foster parents have sacrificed, put up with and put their lives on hold for these kids only to watch as the system that placed them now wants to dump them out. We will continue to tighten our belts, do without, commit to raising this young man and his brothers full knowing that the judge, the social workers, the office help and attorneys are all sucking the life out of our foster care system while those who have to day in and day out comfront issues and continually reassure these children that there really are people out there who really care struggle with both financial and emotional upheavel.
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