Does your state pay for child care?

[harris4kids]

I need help. My state does not pay for child care for working foster parents and I think this is a huge barrier to getting people to do foster care-we have so few homes here. I am going to be meeting with lawmakers in the near future on this topic and I need some figures about which states do an do not pay child care. Can anyone help me?

Thanks-

Kara

(I am a new member and will post my introduction soon)

[Karen Jorgenson]

Some states do and some states do not and the situation varies within states.

[harris4kids]

Does anyone know of a website that gives statistics about which states pay for child care and which don't?

[lovemykids2008]

I can tell you that Missouri DOES pay for child care and actually some agencies pay for Summer Camp too! I really am grateful and lucky!

[Karen Jorgenson]

Encouraging the agency to pay for child care is a great issue to take to your state or local association. Advocacy efforts are most effective when there is a group of people involved.

[loverofpeace]

In Pennsylvania you can apply for subsidized day care; however, there is an extensive waiting list. It took 10 months for us to get off the waiting list. In the meantime, we were paying $370 a week!!!

[FosterMom78]

Massachusetts pays for Child Care.:)

[mommykjo]

Michigan pays for child care also.

[swestmd]

Maryland supposedly offers a $100/month subsidy towards child care but I have yet to receive it for the month I did the paper work for. Basically, I'd have to say that Maryland does NOT pay for child care either!

BTW, I too am a single, working foster parent. Before she turned 2 I was paying $325/week for daycare. Needless to say, the monthy foster care stipend only covered 2 weeks of daycare. Nevermind the other 2 weeks, food, clothing, toys, etc.

[Texas Foster Mommy]

Back when I was placed with my first foster child, I was working, and Texas has a program that assists low income families with Child Care. Its through the Texas Work Force Center and it used to be called CCMS, I dont think thats the correct name for it now. Since he was in Foster care they help me with child care. I hope that helps. Texas Foster Mommy

[Texas Grandma]

Texas does help with daycare. Thank God! It is a definetly a Godsend. The only problems I have had is sometimes the caseworker does not keep up with the paperwork and at the end of the week you get to the daycare and find out that it wasn't submitted and you are responsible for that weeks daycare. For someone on a tight budget and needing daycare for an infant this is an unwelcome surprise at the end of the week. I have been very fortunate the case worker that has been the caseworker that has in someways given me the most hell during all this has also been the case worker that this has NEVER happen to me since she took over the case in April 2007. Childcare is something that all states should be providing for foster families. Fostering is not easy and in kinship cases we do not get the monthly assistance money. We get WIC, Medicaid and in Texas (and you sometimes have to fight for it) daycare and that is all.