My wife and I are flirting with the idea of becoming foster parents, but we don't know much about how it all works. I've done some initial research and have a few questions that I thought I'd post to anyone on this board who may have more experience/knowledge.

1. The reimbursement rate that the state provides ($22/day for basic level children) seems pretty low to me. Is this adequate to cover the costs of the child?

2. What Child Placing Agencies in our area would you recommend?

3. What general thoughts do you have about the daily realities of foster parenting in Texas?

660 dollars a month isn't enough to care for the child, consider you get medicaid, free breakfast and lunches at school, probably free childcare through CCMS and once the child graduates from HS, free college tuition to any public school that accepts them?

And if you want more than 22 dollars a day, fostering special needs kids gets you a bit more money.

and for the record,

My parents were foster parents the entire time I grew up. They normally took in sibsets.

You have to be committed to the idea that many of these kids have no idea what normal to you is. Eating at the dinner table? many of them didn't even have one.

It is usually easier if they are younger, but the older ones are more numerous because few want to foster a 12 boy with a learning disability.

Our neighbors went through the county and ended up adopting three of their foster kids. I can get a contact name and number if you like.

It can be a tough job, and no, the money isn't much, but the rewards can be outstanding, given that you're helping a child in a time of crisis.

College benefits are only if you end up adopting. I believe CPS has an informational meeting once a month, but that may only be regarding adoptions, not fostering. Be prepared to deal with some tough kids. You will not make money fostering, you have to do it because you love children. You have to be prepared to help them for a time and send them home, and back into situations that may not be your idea of what's best for them. It can be an emotional roller coaster...things will be moving along in one direction, then all of a sudden something changes, or you get a new case worker, a parent drops off the face of the earth or a parent shows up and wants to get their kids back.

Just to be clear ... we are not interested in foster care "for the money." However, we cannot afford to lose money doing it. We love children and want to share our blessings and our hearts with them, but we're on a tight budget as it is. Perhaps the state money is sufficient; it just struck me initially as less than I would have guessed. I'm just curious if others who have fostered have found the money to be adequate, or if you end up spending a lot of your own money to make up the difference.

Aggielawyer, they do receive free college tuition at any state college or university if they are in foster care when they turn 18 and meet some other requirements.

It was more than enough back in the 80's for my parents. In fact, they usually saved some of that money to give these kids when they graduated from HS. It was a savings account in their name and the social worker knew about it. My parents were regularly one of the first ones called about sisters who needed a home.

You can make a wonderful difference. They had 17 kids while I was at home and few more after I went to college. Half these kids showed up at my wedding because we invited them. Almost all of them were either in school, working, or in the military.

When my mom died in 99, three of the boys who lived with us the longest were some of pall bearers. Most of these kids just want someone to love and care for them.

If you have a spare bedroom, really....there isn't that much you have to put out for them if you use the state resources available. And by put out, I mean using the money the state provides. Many of these kids are simply going to be amazed at being allowed seconds at dinner.

Tanya, the happiness/sadness of your post is more than a little overwhelming.

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Aggielawyer, they do receive free college tuition at any state college or university if they are in foster care when they turn 18 and meet some other requirements.

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This actually came up in court this afternoon and I think the answer was yes. It wasn't my case, so I wasn't giving it my full attention.

I didn't mean to imply that you were only in it for the money, and it is wise to make sure it would be something you could financially handle.

There is always a need for local foster families. I have several kids placed out of town because there wasn't a home available for them here when they were removed.

Contact the local CPS office at 979.776.3637 and ask to speak to someone about becoming a foster home.

We were foster parents back in the 1980's. Great experience.

What I'd suggest is that anyone interested in this contact CPS and go through the training program. There's no obligation: some people bail out during training because they see it just isn't for them.

Also, no two children are alike. This foster child may be a bundle of physical and emotional issues; that one may be an easygoing, cooperative child who just needs a roof and meals.

What I find encouraging is that now adoption is regarded as a natural consequence that may arise from a long-term placement. Back in the day (before most of y'all were even born) you'd get your head chopped off for even thinking the "a" word.

Maybe its me, but I'm wondering how $650/month isn't enough to raise a kid? If you aren't having to pay for daycare, etc, your rent is already covered, I would think it wouldn't take near that much to raise the kid. I don't even spend that much a month on my 2 kids that I have. I would think initially having to buy some stuff, yes, but I would think $650 would be more than adequate to cover it.