Oregon Public Broadcasting

1st congressional district 2012 election 2012 session agriculture art arts author beer births books budget business central oregon college congress crime culture death penalty eastern oregon economy education employment energy environment eugene fishing food gangs gay rights health health care high school history homeless housing jobs kids law legislature literature living media mental health military movies music native americans obama occupy portland occupy wall street onthejob oregon our town outdoors parenting police politics portland portland business journal portland mayor pregnancy prison public health race rebroadcast recess recession religion republicans rural schools science shooting sports supreme court talking business technology teen theater unemployment union university of oregon washington water weekend women youth

One of the foster children I know makes approximately $1,000 of damage to the home and his and the rest of the family's belongings each month. No other foster parents would take him. If he were not in this home, he would be in an institution. It doesn't make sense that $800 could cover the care for this child.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

Chickens live next door to our church in the West Hills of Portland. It is fun to hear their comments during the sermon. I find the sound of chickens very soothing, plus they're good at getting rid of bugs. Being an experienced chicken farmer as a child, I'm glad I don't have to clean up the mess they leave, however. 

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context

This has been very difficult for medical foster homes, people who have opened their homes to long-term care of extremely physically and/or mentally disabled children, many of whom require round the clock medical care. Many had their rates slashed to almost nothing. These are children you can't care for adequately with the meager funds one receives with "regular" foster care stipends. Without these medical homes, most of these children would be institutionalized at great expense and harm to the child. This was a really ill-advised change from emphasizing community-based care.  Fortunately, some of these children can be changed to the DD system, which prevents them being institutionalized. There are already way too few medical foster care homes in the state of Oregon. The ones I know of have many children more than are normally allowed in a foster home. The foster parents work full time with these children who are quadraplegic, are on ventilators and/or on tube feedings.  These foster homes allow children to grow up in a real family and attend public schools when otherwise they would be placed in hospitals or nursing homes. I think this change shows how little we value children, especially severely disabled children. I'm sure the parent caring for an "average" foster child needs a larger stipend. (I don't know if they are still $300 per month, but you try raising any child on that amount of money.) But it was irresponsible and immoral to cut the stipends that allow foster parents to care for these medically needy children. And it sounds like the person who is evaluating the special rates for foster children does not have a clue what it takes to raise a special needs child. I'm sure that many foster parents who are unable to switch their children to the DD system will not be able to afford to care for these children, and there will be even fewer homes available.

posted 2 years, 6 months ago
view in context