I would definitely encourage you to look into becoming a foster parent ❤️ it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but so amazing to care for the kids 💕

Thank you ☺️

Do you live in NC?

I’m so thankful to hear that you had a good experience in foster care and that you’re mom was able to do everything she could to get you back in her care ❤️

Thanks for sharing your experiences - I'm so sorry you didn't get the necessary help beforehand. I pray you're able to use this time to get everything set and be reunified soon with your kids ❤️ In the future, you could look into safe families - it's a program you can voluntarily put your kids with a safe family while you can get some extra help 👍 takes the courts out of it and you decide when you're ready 😊

@@HappyHoppe I have never heard of that. But thank you. It just sucks I rarely get to see my girls right now and I even had to miss all 3 of their bdays and thanksgiving as well as they are aren't able to do one of our big traditions we do every year where we go to the Christmas lights and take a family photo. I did talk with the foster team and they have at least agreed to a few hours on Christmas Eve at my grandma's house where they can see some of the family for Christmas.

@@HappyHoppe I looked up that program and it's not available in my area. The closest one is 180 miles away

As a responsible adult. Making babies. It is our responsibility to raise our children. Not the government. The government stepped in when you fail below the bar. Pick yourself up, be responsible, raise your children. Don’t wait for the handout.

@@mymustangs except for the fact that I tried to get help that I needed and deserved and was available but they failed to help me get that assistance when I needed it

Yay! Glad it could be helpful for you as you prep to be foster parents 💗

You have to be a couple to foster?

@@victorcordero1458 no, you don't have to be a couple to foster. You can own/rent home/apartment etc and be over age 21 in most states

Oh yay!!! Good! I’m glad the video could help with some questions you had.

Yes, that’s great info! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, let me know when you find out, I like learning how other states do it.

Glad it could help you out :)

@@HappyHoppe how long did it take for you guys to get into Kids Traks? We’ve had a placement for three weeks and still don’t have access

@@nimvorbroker6069 oh wow, I'm not sure as my husband did all of that at the beginning. You'll want access to it by the end of the month so you can get your first per diem payment. I'd reach out to your caseworker or foster care specialist.

That is an awesome vehicle for transporting everyone!! And that’s great that your area takes good care of the foster kids with a higher stipend because the cost of living is higher where you are.

Oh my gosh. Wow!

Thanks for commenting, that's what I thought! Every state needs foster parents, they want to make the process as easy as possible ❤️

Im v strong but when it comes to vulnerable children i feel v sad and like crying

Make sure to get Children's museum and access pass - free or $2 entry for museums for foster families! And don't forget about WIC for kids under 5 and clothing voucher at initial placement

Thanks for all that info - that’s very interesting. Wow, Australia really takes care of their foster parents! That’s great they help with cars and houses as you need larger when fostering. In the States, the daily allowance works out to be about $24-35/day per child depending on age and need - so enough to cover that child’s needs and some fun activities. That money can also go towards housing costs like water, electric bill - but we don’t get subsidized housing. Foster parents also have to have another reliable income for the home because the daily allowance isn’t enough to support the kids AND your whole household. That would be nice because I’d love to get a larger home to allow for more kids.

Wow! Am in Australia and considering fostering, thank you for this information. ❤

The one near us has a trailer in a church parking lot where they take donations of gently used clothes. There are lots of options - that’d be great to help create one near you ❤️

Depends on findings and stuff like that

We have great healthcare providers that accept Medicaid. We are in a populated area. If you did have to drive far you would get mileage reimbursement

That is not a problem in California, Montana or Texas in my experience if anyone is in those states.

There's a lot to unpack in your comment, but I will say the role of a foster parent is to stand in the gap for a family and give the kids a loving and safe place while their parents have the time to work their plan to reunify with their kids. The primary goal of foster care is reunification with bio family. It's a privilege to stand in the gap and love these kids & cheer their parents on. We love the kids. The kids love us. The kids love their birth parents. We love their birth parents and want what is best for them because we know that will help the kids. A REALLY good video that explains the goal of foster care is from another KZfaqr "Lauren Fosters" kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rKyletinktq2qac.html Definitely check it out and I hope you are able to provide a home for a girl one day and be a great support in her life ❤️

As much as they know at the time.

You can, some people are even retired and foster

The amount you make doesn’t matter as much as what other financial responsibilities you have and how well you use your money- they check your financials during the process of becoming foster parents- they want to make sure that you can pay your bills without the foster care stipend since that money is to care for the kids. So if you are able to take care of all your bills now, then yes you can apply to be a foster parent 👍

You can be a foster parent even in a rental 👍 There are places too that need house parents - like group homes, that may be an option until you live somewhere that can house kids

I'm so sorry to hear your experiences 😢 Yeah, I don't understand that perspective of foster parents. It makes me upset for you. I do have a video releasing soon about out of state travel and I do know some states (like Minnesota) doesn't allow out of state travel if bio parents say no. Maybe you were in a state like that? Whereas in Indiana, a judge can override that - we've had to get judge's permission everytime. It's a process, but worth it for the kids to experience new things and I want to take them with us because for this season they are part of our family ❤️ I can't remember if I said it in this video or not, but the daily allowance is nice because after shopping smart for daily needs (clothes, food, etc), it makes it easy to say yes to "extra" things like going out to eat, vacations, fun experiences, etc (we've traveled with them to out of state 5x and got to do horse back riding, fairs, Hershey chocolate world, theme park, water parks, camping, beach day and lots of activities that just require cost of gas like hiking, parks, splash pads & a pie trail (went around our state to 5 restaurants in 3 hours round trip of driving). Thanks for your comment and sharing your perspective.

@@HappyHoppe I'm from WV and its just refreshing to see someone who actually cares ❤

That’s terrible Jordan I’m hope you turned out wonderful despite of you moving around like that those people wasn’t good foster parents

I am sooo sorry. But everything happened for reason.I hope you are enjoying your life now

@@souadhaddo6213 Its mean to tell someone everything happened for a reason. Sometimes its just bad luck and people that suck etc.

I'm not sure. I would reach out to your local foster care department of child services to discuss becoming a foster parent if you are interested.

Social Security isn’t government assistance it’s a fund you pay into. Social security is taken out of all of my paychecks. Very different than welfare.

We moved from El Paso county, but never fostered there, so super interesting to hear everything you listed out. Thanks for your comment and thank you for what you do ❤️

@@HappyHoppe I'm in Briargate area and am licensed with Hope and Home the last 7yrs

@@HappyHoppe I only have a FB page my daughter's graduation picture is my page if you want to PM me

@@Towanda99 awesome! We lived off Powers and Peterson for 2.5 years and then with friends off Powers and Stetson for a little until we moved to Indiana. I nannied for a family who used to live in Briargate! We loved living in Colorado! 🏔️ ❤️

@@HappyHoppe powers and research lol

At the beginning of the month, you get paid for the previous month. Sometimes it’s a couple days late, but never missed.

oh we live in Georgia

Oh wow, that baffles my mind. Are you still licensed foster parents? And the child is still in foster care? (Not adopted?) Are you a kinship/family placement? Kinship doesn’t always get an allowance, but they do get medical coverage and a yearly couple hundred dollar allowance. That’s why even kinship placements should get licensed to be foster parents because you never know how long the case will last and you have more benefits by being an official foster parent.

You will more than likely lose money as a foster parent, unless you scam the system and neglect the child's needs.

It really depends on what you own for a vehicle to begin with. This couple wanted to take in 3 kids at once and only owned a 4 passenger vehicle, which is kind of rare. If you are already driving a decent vehicle and only taking in a child or two, you aren't really adding to your cost. You will have vehicle maintenance regardless of whether you have a foster child, so I wouldn't really count that in added costs. As far as extra money, it probably depends on your own spending habits. In my state, it appears you get $700-799 per month to foster a child. Given our school system does free breakfast/lunch and a snack every school day, food costs are minimal. I would say I'd need $200-300 per month. I do cook, so even my own grocery bill is on the lower end. There are of course small things that pop up like needing some clothing, play items, or money towards a school thing, but I reject the idea that you will lose money unless you neglect the child's needs. There is so much that is already covered when you are fostering.

Look it up, there may be one in your area. They are run by volunteers, so not every place has one. The closest to us is run by a local church.

No, renting is fine too:)

Thanks for that comment, that’s very insightful!

Aww 😞 wow, I’m so sorry to hear this. Definitely look for resources in your community. There’s a lot of family resources in our community and I hope there is in yours too. You could check out “Safe Families” - its voluntary and you are able to have your kids live with trained families (it’s like foster care without the court system, so you can just do it for a week or month or what you need to help). I can only imagine how difficult single parenting is. Prayers for you and your son 🙏

Our state covered those costs, but I'm sure every state is different.

With private agency.

I do agree more could be done for prevention. I do know this family had a lot of assistance for 2+ months before removal. Love & Money is not enough to keep a family together. I wish it was that easy.

A huge number of children in care come from drug related. If they were given the same financial support it unfortunately would probably go into drugs.

as a person who was not in the system because it is pretty hard to get into, who had an abusive household, we need more of them. some people are absolutely unfit to be parents and should not be allowed to keep kids just because “it’s better to keep the family together” bullshit. poor babies are suffering everyday.

@@callisto524 Complete bull sh** as a person that suffered in the system . I don't know who is lying to you but I've seen many families destroyed for poverty and revenge . Seen children told your parents don't want you . They destroy more than they help . I suffered more abuse from foster care than my parents. They didn't even drink . Its so messed up they rather take kids from good parents because they're not as damaged. Easier to adopt . In fact as a teenager if you don't want to be adopted you better enjoy a crappy group home because that's where you will be unless you agree. Not to mention the abuse from foster jailer . They even told me the only way they would leave my parents alone was to be adopted so they would stop charging them child support but only if I choose to be adopted. Don't get how they were charging them anyway since getting their rights terminated was not their choice . Found out years later that they lost our house because of this and went bankrupt. Both lost their jobs because of this. But even with all of that it's not the worst thing. My sister died in their care . They tried to force her to live with the person who destroyed our family . She finally couldn't take it. My story is just one of many like this they don't want you to see. They have to make it look good to get funding we pay for out of our taxes. 90% don't care about the kids they just care about the job of making money. Have you ever sat and listened to a group of foster jailers? I have it's all about how much are you making and where can I get free stuff for the fosters so it doesn't come from their profit . Also the suicide rate of foster kids is way to high I knew 5 people who felt they couldn't deal because of foster jailers. Maybe you should also look up how they drug foster kids as young as 3 with anti psychotic meds to make them more manageable . This isn't even the tip of the iceberg. Oh it doesn't take much to get in either one false call from a neighbor who thinks your to loud . People can literally say anything anonymously and not have to prove anything or have any accountability. In fact I knew a landlord who when he couldn't get rid of tenets or just didn't want to pay to evict them He would call child services on them repeatedly until they moved. He even brag that this was a way to get around the moratorium on evictions during covid. So are you foster jailer lovers can go suck a lemon.

Brand new foster parent here - our state has many prevention programs to try to keep the children with the parents. Children are only removed if the circumstances are extreme (not financial reasons). Biological parents are given many financial benefits and even nice housing . Our state tries very hard to keep the family together. We have gone through several months of training and home studies and we know the separation of the child from its natural parents is traumatizing. Our state wants to avoid this, but if the biological parents are putting the children in harms way (with hard drugs or abuse), then the state becomes involved. The biological parents are given so much support , rehab, and resources once the child is removed, so they can be reunited with their child . A foster parent's job is to be the safe harbor for a child during difficult times and a positive support to the biological parents, while they go through this process. The foster parents I have met (through our license process) have been filled with so much love and compassion for these children. I am so excited to take this journey and to be the temporary safe/ love filled place for a child who needs it.

Foster parents get a child care voucher for daycares that accept it :)

Yes - that’s a great idea! Thanks 😊

Yes, thanks I forgot to say those too for Indiana. And our lunches are actually pretty balanced. 😋 👏 Also, our school district also gives foster children primary school textbooks free (instead of the normal ~$140ish/year) - I don't think that's a statewide thing though.

It's foreign to me that any child in public school owes money for their books. That's not the case in Maine.@@HappyHoppe

That's kinda the point. It's a charity volunteer position, not a job. Gotta weed out people trying to use kids to make money

You're not really supposed to be making money off them, but you can for sure make it work. Remember, foster children are automatically eligible for free meals at school, so 5 days a week, you are covered for breakfast and lunch (actually, that's all children in my district plus a mid-morning snack). If you are a cook on top of it, you can definitely feed an extra mouth for $200-300. While there are expenses that come up at school, it's not usually that many...a small trip here, a t-shirt there. Gas is also dependent on where you live and how much running around you are doing with the child. Most foster parents have their child take advantage of school sports, theater, and music. Often, a late bus is available for a lot of it. Now, how easy it is to manage will vary by state. $400 is not very much. My state is in the $700-799 a month bracket, which is pretty comfortable in my opinion.

Are there issues in the foster care system? Yes Does doing nothing but blame help? No If no one is willing to help, where do vulnerable kids have to go? Money is not normally the key issue for birth families. If it was, that would be an easy fix. In our case, the family had several months of extra financial help before kids were eventually removed.

All foster parents are not bad. There are actually foster parents that work harder then the case worker to ensure that the foster child/ren are being taken care of. I don’t know where you got your information from, but parents do have the same resources, if not more then foster parents. I guess it is the state you are in, that makes the difference. Some care ALOT more then others. I’m a foster parent and I was in foster care.

Sounds exactly how things go in Oregon!

No, parents do not get the same resources! Parents don't get extra allowances for birthdays and holidays or personal allowance or memberships etc

@@allaccessbotanicalchat588sure sure… meanwhile has videos about being addicted to opioids… don’t think your problem was a shortage of funds 😕

Yeah, that's a good idea, but that'd be a lot to organize for someone! Maybe just for ages 0-1.5 because that's when kids grow so fast and you use the outfits just a couple times before they've grown out of it! After that initial clothing voucher, we've not spent much on clothes because of deals on FB marketplace & second hand stores. We have bought special outfits for birthday, Christmas or other holidays and new shoes. And also that's why we're so thankful for our local foster care closet 👏

Our doctor’s office actually have huge racks of children’s clothing.