Preparing to become a foster parent: Who will qualify?

Who qualifies to be a foster parent?  I am sure there are a LOT of ‘buts’ and ‘what abouts’ in your list of reasons why you might or might not qualify to become a foster parent.  Let us dispel all the myths and get down to the truth.  The following is a list of qualifications directly from the Indiana DCS website:

• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Passing a criminal history and background check that includes a fingerprint-based national history
• Demonstrating financial stability
• Own or renting your own home that meets physical safety standards (e.g., fire extinguishers, adequate bedroom space, reliable transportation)
• Medical statements from a physician for all household members
• Successful completion of pre-service training requirements
• Successful completion of First Aid, CPR, and Universal Precautions training
• Positive personal reference statements
• Foster parents do not need to be married. They may be single or cohabitating. A live-in relationship with a significant other or same-sex partner should be established for at least one year to demonstrate stability.
• Home visits from the Regional Licensing Specialist
• Completion of all required Casey Foster Family Assessments
• Completing all required forms within the licensing packet

-Financial stability does not mean you need to be ‘well off’.  It simply means that you can adequately provide for your current family’s needs.

-Bedroom space is always an issue people raise.  Generally if bedroom space must be shared you would want to keep similar aged children of the same sex together,.. Or depending on the ages you might keep a sibling group all together in one room.  The rule of thumb is 50 square foot per child per room.  So if you have a bedroom that is 10’X12’ or 120 square feet then that will appropriately fit two children.  This is not a hard and fast rule, but it is a guideline that DCS will go by in determining how many foster children you would have room for and be licensed for when they do your home study.  Going hand in hand with that will be how many seats you have available in your vehicles.  Would it be adequate for everyone to get in and get buckled up? 

-The Medical Statement entails you have what amounts to a yearly physical with your physician and that your doctor agrees you are healthy enough to care for a child.  

-Positive Personal References might come from friends, family members or other community members who know you and/or your family.  I think when we went through this process this last time we used a couple different longtime friends from different places…(One from my hometown and one from our current church.) and one of David’s former project managers from a former employer whom he was still friends with.  Your pastor or coworkers might also be a good place to start.

One thing that is not mentioned here is pets.  Pets are not a problem at all, but you will need to have their vaccinations current to be licensed.  

A couple other things to keep in mind… Foster parents:

• ·         May or may not have children of their own (Being a parent currently is not a requirement!)

• ·         May work outside of the home with approved child care plans  (You do not need to be a full time stay at home parent.)

Do you live outside the state of Indiana?  Do a quick Google search on your state and the key words foster care or DCS. 

I hope that if you have any questions you will feel free to contact me and ask away! 

Are you ready to take the step to ask for more information on becoming a foster parent?  Click through and fill out the inquiry form here.  

Go out there and #ChangeTheWorld !

Preparing to be a Foster Parent Financially

  

I’m sure if you have even peripherally thought about becoming a foster parent and/or adopting a foster child one of the first thoughts that have come to your mind is… “What is this going to cost?”  It is natural.  We believe being fiscally responsible is not only important but an example we are given repeatedly in the Bible that we should faithfully follow.  I am not at all surprised that this is one of the first things that come up when discussing the reality of achieving the title of foster parent.

So what does the financial picture of adopting from foster care look like?  I’m going to try and answer that here and also give you an idea of what to expect in getting the process started.

First things first we need to contact our local DCS office in our county and get the ball rolling.  If you visit the DCS website you will find links to Foster Parent Requirements and frequently asked questions…and most importantly the Online Inquiry Form.   (Outside Indiana you will need to Google your state name and DCS.)  In broad terms then what you are going to need to do is fill out a lot of paperwork, answer a lot of questions, endure a home visit to fulfil the home study and schedule a doctor’s appointment.  During this process you will also be invited to informational meetings and classes aimed at getting you up to speed in how DCS works with foster parents.

We were a little surprised to learn that the state pays for our training.  They pay for an agency to complete your home study.  They pay for just about everything.  In this process I think the only thing that David and I had to pony up cash for was our fingerprinting.  (It runs in my mind that was like $27 each.)  Oh yeah.  You have to be finger printed as part of the local/national background check they will run.   We were given vouchers/codes to register for classes that required payment such as from the Foster Parents College or to the Red Cross for CPR & First Aid.  

Okay…so let’s fast forward to the day your home is certified as a foster home.  What then? 

When you have a child placed in your home there are pieces of information that will be provided to you about the child.  One of those things is their CANS score.  This is a score achieved looking at the child’s needs physically, medically and other factors including age.  Using the CANS score a Per Diem (daily) rate is established.  Then, as the foster parent, you will bill the state at the end of each month for the days in the prior month this child was in your care.  This money is to be used to offset food, clothing, child care, school supplies and any other expenses you may incur having this foster child in your home.   (Book fees and lunches in public school are paid for by the state also!)  Whatever remains is yours to apply to your family budget as you deem necessary.  

Let’s say that you work full time and have a foster child in your care that is not yet school aged.  You are probably going to spend most of their per diem in child care expenses.  However, if you are stay at home Mom and have that same child…you are essentially being paid by the state to perform that child care yourself.  If that child has other siblings each one has their own per diem rate.  (We had NO idea this was the case when we started the process.  We were very surprised.)  You can see a spreadsheet of the current CANS per diem rates here.  The rate runs across the top and the number of days in care run down the side.  So you could check totals for partial months or for a whole month.  Remember if you have multiple siblings in your home then you would add those altogether.  It can run into the thousands of dollars a month.   I had no idea.  

As I have spoken about before there is also their Medicaid.  Doctors, Dentist/Orthodontists, Eye Doctors/Glasses/Contacts, Therapy/Therapists and all their medications are covered.  Zero out of pocket for the foster parent…and the adoptive parents moving forward post-adoption!  That Medicaid will go with them until they are at least 18 years old.  It is my understanding that Medicaid can then be extended at that point depending on their circumstance; those circumstances are reevaluated as the child nears 18 years of age.

There are also special allowances made by DCS.  Each child has a special occasion allowance that can be billed for birthday and holiday gifts…and other unusual things.  I believe it is something like $50 for birthday and holiday gifts and then a total of up to $300 a year for other things that are specified by DCS.  

Okay so we are starting to get a good idea of what we are dealing with during the fostering period.  Now what can we expect moving forward?  Once a child or sibling group has become eligible for adoption and they are in a pre-adoptive placement it usually takes a minimum of 6 months to work through to the point that you will get a finalization date.  There must be visits each month from the Family Case Manager and possibly from a CASA or Guardian Ad Litem.  These are members of your child’s team.  They are the ones responsible to report back to the judge each quarter and let the judge know how the placement is going. In our case it took ten months from placement to finalization…however we had a minor hiccup of moving mid-placement so some extra time was taken to ensure that the boys had a smooth transition into our new home and their new school.  

As the time draws closer for finalization you will be prompted by your child’s Family Case Manager to find an attorney.  The state reimburses you up to $1500 per child for ‘non reoccurring adoption expenses’ aka attorney fees!  There are many attorneys who are willing to take these cases for what the state provides.  In our case we found an attorney in the boys' home county who took our case.  He was a juvenile prosecutor.  LOL  He told me he loved doing these cases because they were FUN after what he does for his ‘day job’.  He could have charged us $3000 for his services…but he did not.  He only charged his actual time and it came up to something like $2500…which included reimbursing for court filing costs!  So the state paid him directly what he billed…and we had not one red cent out of pocket for his services.  We did pay a total of $20 on finalization day when we applied for the boys’ new birth certificates with their new names.  Ten dollars each.  I’d say that is worth it. 

I touched on this before.  Let’s talk about the Post Adoption Agreement.  This is one of the things that your attorney will be working on for you.  The state and your attorney will negotiate the child or children’s post adoption per diem if they are designated a Special Needs Adoption.  The SNAP program is there to assist adoptive parents caring for children with special needs but also older child adoptions and any sibling adoption qualifies also by definition.  Depending on the child’s physical and emotional needs it will be greater or smaller.  A child who has long-term physical or emotional disabilities is obviously going to need more going forward than a child with no disability.  In our case our boys have pretty severe Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effects.  Elijah in particular has very poor eye sight from being exposed to drugs and alcohol in the womb.  He could potentially lose his eye sight all together as he progresses through adolescence.  Nate’s struggles are more social and educational.  With Nate we face the reality that he may not ever be able to fully be independent.  These are things that are taken into consideration.   

In the end we were able to negotiate a rate that works out to a bit more than $25,800 a year.  You read that right.  …and all the income from foster care is tax free.  Did I mention that?  It is a ‘reimbursement’ for care…so it is not taxable.  That is crazy.  I am able to be home to care for my children (and teach them!) and still bring in a pay check of sorts.  I did not have any idea that would be the case when we started this journey.  We were only obeying what we knew God was pressing on our hearts to do.  What a blessing.  

Speaking of taxes there is also the Adoption Tax Credit!  That is a nice shot in the arm come tax time!

All of this has allowed us to pay down debt.  We are able to live in a large home on a large piece of wooded land and the kids LOVE IT.  The most amazing thing is that because of that we have more bed rooms, more beds, a large 14 passenger van and the ABILITY to do even more than before.  We can continue to be foster parents to even more children.  God has multiplied what we humbly came to him with…the desire to do more…and he just keeps growing it exponentially!  

My ultimate point here is this... Financially there is no reason not to get involved and make a difference in the life of a child or a sibling group.  We have no excuse.

Are you excited?  Are you ready to get out there and be the change you want to see in the world?  Do you feel strongly that being a foster parent might be your personal ministry?  Are you prepared to see and experience God’s blessing on your life?  Are you ready to be stretched and grown farther than you ever dreamed you were capable?  Has God already been equipping you for this very moment?  Are you willing to seek only His will and not necessarily what you want in the moment?  Then I’d say…you are ready to take that next step!

Pray.  Seek His guidance.  Then STEP OUT in faith.   

You can do this!  

   

Preparing To Be A Foster Parent: Medicaid

Medicaid 


Does that one little word make you want to scrunch up into a ball and hide?  Me too.  I didn’t want to deal with it.  I didn't want to admit it.  I didn't want anyone to know that my boys are on it.  However, it was and is a fact of our lives.  We must deal with it.  I do need to talk about it because our boys are on Medicaid and will be until they are at least eighteen years old.  

Going into our training to become a foster family we knew nothing about Medicaid and the other benefits that wards of the State of Indiana are allowed.  Not much information was offered to us about it, other than the knowledge that our foster children would have it and children adopted from foster care frequently are awarded it post adoption.  (There are other benefits too!)

When the boys were placed with us we received a ‘permission to treat’ card that had their names and Medicaid numbers written on it along with our information and their Family Case Manager’s.  This was to go into my wallet and be used anytime we had any type of doctor appointment.  (Medical, dental, eye doctor, specialists.) Approximately 2 weeks post placement we received new Medicaid cards for them in the mail.  This was their insurance card.  

The Good

I can still remember vividly on my first trip to the pharmacy standing there with my mouth hanging agape as the pharmacy tech explained to me that the boys’ prescription medications were FREE.  As in No Charge.  $0.00.  I don’t know what I expected exactly, but I had no idea their meds would be free.  Wow.  That is amazing.  Each of the boys is on four medications.  That is EIGHT prescriptions and we pay nothing out of pocket.  I was floored. 

The Hard Part

What I was unprepared for was that sometimes people judge you.  And you can tell.  You can feel their judgment boiling over and raining down on your head.  Sometimes you are innocently standing at the pharmacy window and a tech will ask “Do you want name brand or generic?” and you quietly answer “They are on Medicaid we have to have generic.”.  Only to have someone look at you standing there in a dress/skirt with all five of your chicks gathered around your grocery cart with a look that would peel paper clean off a wall. 
In the moment I want to explain that:

I’m a foster Mom.  This is a foster child.  This is my pre-adoptive foster child.  This is my adopted child that is formerly a foster child…that my husband has a good job, we have money to pay for these children... I’m not a baby mill living off the system.  But then I realize that nothing I say will matter to that judging person.

Do you know who it will matter to?  The kid.  Yep, pre-adoptive or not.  Adopted or foster.  If I say any of those things it will mean something to that child in that moment even if they don’t understand the words being said.  So I say nothing.

Sometimes it is at a doctor’s office.  Sometimes it is calling a new eye doctor to get eye exams.  Sometimes it is imagined…other times you know it is not.  Be prepared.  Steel yourself for it.  Sometimes you won’t even notice but other times those looks will hurt. When we changed pharmacies back last summer after we moved I made a point of telling my pharmacist that our boys were pre-adoptive fosters because sometimes even the pharmacy team members give attitude.  Not all of them, but some at some stores.  Target (several different ones) has been great to me in that regard.  When we had our name change in November (post adoption) and got new cards they quickly took care of the situation and there was very little discussion about it.  They know me, see me coming.  I’m there so often.  

Oh yeah.  You will be there so often!  We are pretty much at the pharmacy counter on a weekly basis between the boys meds and D and I.  That is okay.  I’ve learned to track our pill count and put it on the calendar so that I know which Rxs need to be filled each week.  I almost always go to the pharmacy on the same day of the week now.  I have a Post It Velcro pocket that holds all our paper scripts.  It fits nicely in my purse or planner or in my desk drawer depending on my need.  Nothing gets lost that way. (affiliate link)

Question Everything

I’ve learned also to ask lots of questions, particularly with new practitioners.  Last fall I was calling around to get E and N in to see an eye doctor.  E needed new glasses badly.  His were so scratched and the elastic in the strap was nearly shot.  When I called an office I had been referred to I asked first thing “Do you accept Medicaid?”. I was assured that they did.  The appointments were made.  Two weeks later I had picked the boys up from school and was approximately 5 minutes away from the office when I got a phone call.  N’s Medicaid had been denied.  No reason…it just didn’t go through.  I knew full well it had been over a year since he had been seen but what could I do?  We continued on to E’s appointment.  When we arrived it was ALL of us.  We even had one foster child with us.  We filled up the office waiting area.  I felt horrible…but you do what you have to do.  We waited to be taken back.  The doctor made an appearance at one point and had BIG eyes and wanted to know HOW MANY of us were getting eye exams that day?  Sadly, just the one!  

Finally they called us back.  The appointment was rather lengthy because of E’s issues.  He and N both have trouble letting doctors examine them.  It also took a long time because his vision is so bad.  At the conclusion of his appointment his doctor proceeded to tell me that he needed vision therapy and how he just happened to be working at the university doing just that…and that Medicaid would not pay for a minute of it.  I explained to him as kindly as I could that we could not afford that right then.  I then asked about the new glasses.  As it turns out his office did not offer even ONE frame that was covered by Medicaid.  Not even one.  They did have a lovely alternative to what he had been wearing (goggle style) that was atrociously ugly and expensive.  I sweetly asked for E's new prescription and I left as quickly as I could. 

As I was scooting out one of the sweet girls working there gave me the names of the only two places that offer a frame covered by Medicaid in our town.  (This would have been great information when I originally called!)  One of them was just up the street.  I walked into this other office with the new prescription and asked if I could order glasses?  (Sure!)  Which ones are covered by Medicaid?  (This whole shelf.)  I ended up not picking any of the frames covered by Medicaid anyway.  I wanted something similar to what he had been wearing so we chose to pay out of pocket for what would be the best choice but I am not a bit sorry that I left that doctor’s office without ordering glasses.  I just felt so silly for not thinking to ask specifically if they had frames that were covered.  Lesson learned.

My very best advice to those who are moving into this season of life is to take the steps to educate your self.  You are about to become this child’s best advocate.  If you do not know what services are due them and fight for them very few other people are going to be vested enough to do so either.  Google is your best friend.  Look for more information and if you cannot find what you are looking for enlist your child’s Family Case Manager, CASA or Guardian ad Litem.  Also, seek out other foster parents and make friends!  They can be a wealth of information.

Up until this point in our experience with E & N and their doctors I had been well pleased.  They saw every specialist they needed to at Riley at regular intervals and we had very little trouble before then.  Of course at the time we lived in Greenwood and had every conceivable specialist within minutes of us in Indianapolis.  That isn’t necessarily the case in smaller towns.  However, I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that it isn’t as bad as the nightmare you may have previously imagined.  Just be ready, think ahead.  Plan for the worst and hope for the best.