Strangely enough, I ended up here while trying to find assistance with diapers for my own biological child. I found MANY agencies that cater to assisting foster/adoptive families. I found few for the child's ACTUAL family.
I am in complete agreement with Richard Wexler! It upsets me immensely to see stories about how the foster system has too little money to care for all the children in foster homes. Most of these children HAVE HOMES already! For those of you who want to say that we speak as people with no experience in the system, be assured that I am quite familiar with the corrupt and "broken" CPS system in Arizona. My family is currently being victimized. Based on one person's reports that I was drinking, my children were removed from a very safe, clean, loving, caring home where they were happy, healthy, and well cared for. I was completely sober (documented) the day my children were removed, and have been sober (also documented) the entire time our case has been open (over a year!).
And, poverty IS labeled as neglect for the purposes of removing a child from their home.
I, as a mother, bought my own children clothes, diapers, shoes, school supplies, food, birthday presents, etc. even when they were in foster care. Even so, as a single struggling mother, I see no problem with the dollar amounts budgeted for care of a child in foster care. I have (and always have) provided for my own children, again in their own home, within the same budget guidelines. I buy Parent's Choice diapers at Walmart (not Huggies) and don't spend more than $30 a month. I would be thrilled to have $150 a year per child for clothing! Payless, Walmart, and thrift stores sell perfectly acceptable clothing for children (even teenagers). CPS will pay over $1000 for housing my 2 children somewhere else, but will not help me with $300 to bring my own rent current (I pay only $475 per month to house 3 people). We do not have a "camp/vacation" budget (we enjoy time together as a family doing things like church activities, community service, going to the park, camping, snuggling while watching a movie...). CPS pays for foster parents to take the children to daycare everyday, even when the foster parent does not work out-of-the-home. CPS will not buy the parent a $15 per month bus-pass, but will spend hundreds a month to a private "transportation company" to take foster children to and from schools, doctor's appointments, "visits" with their own parents, and to the counseling they now need because of the trauma caused by being ripped from their own home.
There really are children who do need help from CPS. So much of their deserved time and money are being wasted on those who do not.
For those of you who truly needed help, but weren't helped by CPS in the past, I am so sorry. But that CPS does not exist in Arizona today. They do "take the children and run" now. It would even be acceptable if the grabbed the child until they could "get all the facts" just to be on the safe-side. But, they grab the child, then do whatever it takes to justify the removal by distorting information to be able to label the situation as "neglect" (rather than take into account all facts from all sources).
More effort and funds should be provided to allow the children to remain in their own homes whenever possible.
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I am in complete agreement with Richard Wexler! It upsets me immensely to see stories about how the foster system has too little money to care for all the children in foster homes. Most of these children HAVE HOMES already! For those of you who want to say that we speak as people with no experience in the system, be assured that I am quite familiar with the corrupt and "broken" CPS system in Arizona. My family is currently being victimized. Based on one person's reports that I was drinking, my children were removed from a very safe, clean, loving, caring home where they were happy, healthy, and well cared for. I was completely sober (documented) the day my children were removed, and have been sober (also documented) the entire time our case has been open (over a year!).
And, poverty IS labeled as neglect for the purposes of removing a child from their home.
I, as a mother, bought my own children clothes, diapers, shoes, school supplies, food, birthday presents, etc. even when they were in foster care. Even so, as a single struggling mother, I see no problem with the dollar amounts budgeted for care of a child in foster care. I have (and always have) provided for my own children, again in their own home, within the same budget guidelines. I buy Parent's Choice diapers at Walmart (not Huggies) and don't spend more than $30 a month. I would be thrilled to have $150 a year per child for clothing! Payless, Walmart, and thrift stores sell perfectly acceptable clothing for children (even teenagers). CPS will pay over $1000 for housing my 2 children somewhere else, but will not help me with $300 to bring my own rent current (I pay only $475 per month to house 3 people). We do not have a "camp/vacation" budget (we enjoy time together as a family doing things like church activities, community service, going to the park, camping, snuggling while watching a movie...). CPS pays for foster parents to take the children to daycare everyday, even when the foster parent does not work out-of-the-home. CPS will not buy the parent a $15 per month bus-pass, but will spend hundreds a month to a private "transportation company" to take foster children to and from schools, doctor's appointments, "visits" with their own parents, and to the counseling they now need because of the trauma caused by being ripped from their own home.
There really are children who do need help from CPS. So much of their deserved time and money are being wasted on those who do not.
For those of you who truly needed help, but weren't helped by CPS in the past, I am so sorry. But that CPS does not exist in Arizona today. They do "take the children and run" now. It would even be acceptable if the grabbed the child until they could "get all the facts" just to be on the safe-side. But, they grab the child, then do whatever it takes to justify the removal by distorting information to be able to label the situation as "neglect" (rather than take into account all facts from all sources).
More effort and funds should be provided to allow the children to remain in their own homes whenever possible.