foster care blog #1: “Foster care is a job“
“Foster care is a job, when you leave that job, do you call the job to say 'hi' ? No you move on to the next job.” That Is what my foster mothers son told me, many times. Correctly the job of being a foster parent pays $130- $400 per day.(source: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/0,5885,7-339-73971_7117_7658-14898--,00.html )
In researching and soul searching for this blog I found a lot of altruistic views on being a foster parent.
I find it inspiring and heart- warming, So please don't take this as an attack on you, that’s great and we need more of you. That just wasn't my experience.
In my foster home between 2006-2009, it seemed like I was a great burden. My meals always consisted of strawberry pop tarts( bough in bulk) or generic Fruit Loops, which i still can’t stand, with milk for breakfast and one banquet TV dinner(purchased in a 10 for 10 deal) in the evening. All food was kept under lock and key to avoid “stealing”. During to school year I received free lunch, which I was very thankful for. My lowest weight was 98 pounds(I'm 4 ft. 11in. & female).
Along with my public education and free lunch, I had medical insurance and a yearly clothing allowance that was covered through the state. Although my clothing was strictly controlled by my foster family. They only allowed me to purchase clothing two sizes too big because as they said, “I wasn't a skinny little kid any more & I had buy clothes to fit my body type”. I found that confusing because I was usually told I was too thin and I might to be “sent away” for it.
I was allowed to make short local phone calls and only allowed to receive long distant call from my family, which i looked forward to every week. I did get a $40 monthly allowance from the state. Unfortunately my foster son and daughter-in-law were drug addicts, so I had to be creative in hiding that money with mixed success.
I walked to school every day rain or shine, hot or cold. I also often walked to the public library, taking the long way home even though it was a bad neighborhood. I guess I just didn't want to go “home”.
