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Study says foster families' reimbursement not keeping up with costs

Posted April 09, 2008 11:00 pm

Meagan Sexton

It's been almost eight years since foster families in Illinois have seen a significant increase in what they're paid to care for the children the state places with them.

The result, according to a recent study, is that the real cost of providing for a foster child has climbed well above the state's reimbursement levels.

The Illinois House on Tuesday approved a bill that would provide a $24 million, one-time payment to the state's 7,500 foster parents. However, one of the sponsors, Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said he fears the proposal might not survive the expected end-of-session budget squeeze.

Tricia Copeland, 46, of Springfield cares for two foster children - a 5-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy with special needs. Copeland, a literacy coach, also has an 11-year-old son she adopted as an infant. He happens to be a sibling of the boy and girl in her care.

Copeland receives about $400 a month to care for the 5-year-old. Her payments are higher for the 6-year-old because of his special needs.

She said she makes ends meet by being extremely frugal.

Copeland, as well as the children, wear "hand-me-down clothing." They rarely go out to eat, and she limits family vacations to once a year - and then they usually visit a family member.

Some of the children's expenses come straight out of Copeland's pocket.

"They are wonderful, wonderful children and well worth the struggle," she said.

Lang said foster parents deserve medals for what they do. Instead, he said, they are hurt by low reimbursements from the state.

"If foster parents didn't do what they do, these children would all be (housed in state facilities), costing us lots of big money," Lang said. "To allow the foster parents to have to continue to go broke taking care of our children, I think, is embarrassing and wrong."

Payments provided by the legislation would average $145 per foster parent. Two other bills in the General Assembly would set up a method to regularly recalculate reimbursement rates.

Kendall Marlowe, spokesman for the state Department of Children and Family Services, said the issue is not a new one. The department is committed to increasing payments, but it will take time, he said.

"We agree that foster parents should be reimbursed at a higher rate. At the same time, we have to operate within a fiscally responsible budget, and it is impossible to spend money that isn't there," Marlowe said.

About one-third of the money used to reimburse foster parents comes from the federal government, he noted, adding, "Any substantial increase in foster care reimbursement rates may necessitate a change in federal policy."

The study of foster care rates, titled "Hitting the MARC," (the acronym stands for Minimum Adequate Rates for Children) was conducted by the National Foster Parent Association, Children's Rights and the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Illinois' current foster care rates would have to be increased by up to 81 percent to cover the real costs of providing for foster children, the groups said.

"The bottom line is that, when these rates don't reflect the real expenses that foster parents face, it's the children who suffer," said Karen Jorgenson, executive director of the NFPA, in a written statement. "Hitting the MARC provides desperately needed guidelines for rates that would ensure that the basic needs of children in foster care are met no matter where they happen to live."

Margaret Berglind, president of Child Care Association of Illinois, said a dozen eggs cost 38 percent more than they did last year, yet the state hasn't adjusted foster parents' rates.

"We have given the foster parents one adjustment in eight years," Berglind said. "It's important, because we rely on foster parents to care for the children who are wards of the state. Children rely on the state to provide their care and to be their parent. By paying the foster parents so low, the state is not being a very good parent."

Meagan Sexton can be reached at (217) 782-6882.

Number of children in foster care in central Illinois counties as of Feb. 29

Cass: 18

Christian: 102

Greene: 18

Logan: 60

Macoupin: 55

Menard: 14

Montgomery: 37

Morgan: 38

Sangamon: 340

Peoria: 733

Bureau: 41

Knox: 68

La Salle: 99

Mason: 21

Tazewell: 212

Woodford: 52

Winnebago: 597

Source: Department of Children and Family Services Web site

Reimbursement rates per child in licensed foster families and relative home care in Illinois

0-11 months: $372

1-4 years: $380

5-8 years: $396

9-11 years: $422

12 years and over: $458

Source: Department of Children and Family Services

Estimated total monthly costs per child

0-4 years: $629

5-13 years: $721

14-18 years: $790

Source: Minimum Adequate Rates for Children study, 2007

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