06/10/2026
“Y’all are just in it for the money.”
I hear that one a lot.
And every time, I find myself asking…
What money?
Because I don’t know a single foster parent who’s getting rich doing this.
Are there people who do the bare minimum? Probably.
Just like there are bad teachers, bad doctors, bad pastors, and bad parents.
But I don’t think that’s the norm.
The foster families I know are taking unpaid days off work for court dates, therapy appointments, family visits, IEP meetings, medical appointments, and hospital stays.
They’re rearranging their entire lives for children who may only be with them for a season.
They’re spending weekends at soccer games, dance recitals, and birthday parties.
They’re buying school supplies, Christmas presents, comfort items, and replacement shoes because someone grew overnight.
They’re saying yes to medically complex children.
Children who need specialists.
Children who need therapies.
Children who need round-the-clock care.
In our family, I stay home because some of our children simply cannot be cared for in a traditional childcare setting.
We’ve spent nights in hospital rooms.
Weeks away from normal life.
Countless hours sitting in waiting rooms.
And if we’re talking strictly about dollars and cents?
Foster care has cost us money.
Not made us money.
But that’s not a complaint.
Because we didn’t say yes for a paycheck.
We said yes because children need families.
Because every child deserves someone willing to show up.
Because love has never been measured by profit.
So if you think foster parents are swimming in cash, I invite you to spend a week walking in their shoes.
You might discover that what keeps most foster families going isn’t money at all.
It’s the smile from a child who finally feels safe.
It’s hearing “I love you.”
It’s watching healing happen one tiny step at a time.
And trust me…
Those things are priceless.
