The lucrative business of foster care

I have heard the sentiment from lots of different people that some people only foster because of the money. They always make sure to tell me that they know that's not why we foster, but that some people will only do it to make money. You know, that's like saying, "well there are lots of great teachers, but some of them just want to sleep with their students." Sure in anything in life there are going to be people who make headlines because they are complete idiots, but it would be really nice if the rest of the world could realize that these people made headlines because they are not the norm. I have a few thoughts on this:

~ If foster care were such a lucrative business more people would be doing it. Seriously every agency is starving for foster parents because there is no line outside the door to take in some of the world's most difficult children. And in America we like our money, so where are the lines???

~ If I got a full time, minimum wage job I would make MORE money and I would only have to work 20% of the time I do as a foster parent. Let's see, full time work is usually 40 hours per week but as a foster parent I work about 168 hours a week (that's all the hours in a week just to be clear).

I read a post on my support group that a foster parent had posted in an online garage sale group about needing a couple beds and wanting to know if anyone had some to sell. The people on the group tore this woman apart for wanting to buy used beds when she gets paid to be a foster parent. Isn't that just horrible?!? That's what got me thinking about all the times I've heard similar things. To be clear, that money is payment for child care from the state for taking care of a child that ISN'T YOURS. If someone ran an in home daycare (again they would work way less hours than a foster parent and get paid more no doubt) no one would ever deride them for how they chose to spend their money. But I see this as an opportunity to inform. No one's getting rich or making their lives any easier by becoming foster parents!