Frequently
Asked Questions
FAQ
- Frequently Asked Questions about $
Money $
What
is the Family Care Rate (Maintenance) expected to cover?
The
family care rate covers the regular ongoing costs of raising a child. You are
expected to budget the family care payment over the year and across placements.
Besides clothing, food and shelter (including a portion of utilities and
mortgage/rent), the rate reimburses you for the following:
- School costs. Except in
unusual circumstances, school-related costs are to be paid from the family
care rate. This does not include post-secondary education costs.
- Baby-sitting
and relief. This includes the routine costs of care for natural and
foster children during your absence due to child-in-care related business
(for example: school meetings, child conferences, Foster Parent
Association meetings).
- Day Care. 80% of day care costs
comes from a Child Care Subsidy. The application form is available from
MCFD and requires social worker approval. In some cases Foster Parents are
expected to pay the parent portion of day care costs for children in care
(20%). Check with the child’s social worker.
- Vacation
expenses. This includes the foster child’s share of normal expenses
for vacations and summer camps. You will need to budget for these items.
- Routine wear
and tear. The shelter portion of the family care rate covers routine
wear and tear related to additional children in the household.
- Mileage. Up to 325 km/ month is to
be paid out of the family care rate at a rate of $.30 per km. In
exceptional circumstances you will be reimbursed for additional mileage
but it must be pre-approved by a social worker, and you will need to
supply a mileage log.
- Pharmacy/Prescription costs. Most prescriptions for children in
care are covered by M.S.P.
Sometimes prescriptions are not covered by M.S.P. Before you pay
for a prescription check with the child’s social worker about the process
for paying for prescriptions if you get a prescription not covered by
M.S.P.
- Drivers Training. The cost for drivers training is
often split 3 ways: 1/3 MCFD; 1/3 Family Care Rate; 1/3 Youth in Care –
check with the child’s social worker.
How much is the family care rate?
April 2009 to March 2010 the family
care rate is:
Age
11 & under $803.81/month
Age
12 – 19 $909.95/month
These
amounts are paid to the Foster Parent only for the days that the child is in
the home. If a child stays with you less than the full month the amount will be
adjusted accordingly.
Is there a specific amount to be spent in
each spending area?
No. It
is up to each caregiver to budget moneys received, taking into account the
needs of the child and the expectations of the child’s social worker as
outlined in the Plan of Care. This includes clothing and allowances.
There
are guidelines available from your resource worker or the Foster Parent
Coordinator, but they are only examples.
Do I need to keep receipts?
It is a
good idea to keep receipts and a monthly budget. MCFD may ask you to justify
your need should extraordinary expenses occur. A number of different budget
formats are available from your Foster Parent Coordinator.
What if a child has extra expenses when
they come into care?
Discuss
any extra expenses with the child’s social worker before you spend. Initial clothing grants will only be issued on a
case-by-case basis upon an assessment by the social worker.
You
should not end up out of pocket as a result of your work as a foster parent.
Supplementary supports are available when the service requirements of the child
in care are beyond regular expectations.
Speak to your social worker if you need help managing costs.
BCFFPA
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