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Katrina Hoop was a foster/adoptive parent. She is a sociologist who lives in Portland.
I’m writing to express my support for a paid family and medical leave system in Maine. My story is one that is often overlooked in these conversations: the story of a foster parent.
Two weeks after I took in a newborn baby as a newly licensed foster parent, I received my first check from the state – the Department of Health and Human Services – as compensation. Although I knew being a resource parent was “paid caregiving,” it was a strange experience to think about what the money represented for me. I am not sure how the state calculates a “per diem rate,” but it begs the question: how do you calculate and remunerate the love you give another human, especially in the form of fostering?
The question took on greater significance for me as I met other foster parents. In the following months, through Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine support group meetings and making connections in the foster community, I heard stories of foster, kinship and adoptive parents navigating a physically and emotionally draining process for everyone involved. Resource parents of children with medical conditions or special needs, not to mention unpredictable crises or twists in their journeys, are faced with tough questions: how will we care for a child with extensive health problems full time? For dual-earner families, can we afford one person to leave the paid workforce?
A paid family and medical leave plan could address the needs of all kinds and forms of families regardless of their situation. It could provide an additional and genuine safety for parents, regardless of their status as a caregiver.
While all parents might find themselves asking tough questions, families that fall outside the traditional understanding of a family might face additional hurdles. Licensed foster parents receive state services and support, including direct financial support. However, because the needs of a child, the rights and role of the biological parents, and demand from state institutions all vary depending on the situation, foster parenting is typically unpredictable.
Even with state and informal support, managing the challenges can be overwhelming. Further, there are many kinship families who have guardianship of a child through probate court or in a legal arrangement through power of attorney and therefore, they do not qualify for adequate services nor are their numbers tracked accurately.
In Maine, more than 2,000 children are being cared for in 1,700 adoptive, foster and kinship care homes but an estimated 15,000 children are being cared for by kinship families who unofficially foster a child, such as a grandchild. The same range of services available to licensed foster parents are not available for these caregivers. In addition, if one lives in a rural part of Maine, getting access to existing services can easily put a strain on families, and out-of-pocket expenses can add up quickly.
In Maine, a number of laws have been passed to address a safety net for families and individuals who experience a crisis, which impacts their participation in the paid labor force. But these don’t go far enough. Maine needs a paid family and medical leave plan and LD 1559, currently working its way through the Legislature, will set in motion the process to explore one.
The Maine Paid Leave Coalition includes a diverse group of organizations that understands that families come in different forms, including biological, foster and kinship families, and that any plan should include this reality. The coalition is convened by the Maine Women’s Lobby, an organization I support. In an editorial from May 2019, the BDN editorial board urged Maine to continue to explore family and medical leave. A commission that will work towards a plan, built by and for Mainers, will be inclusive, organized and thoughtful for all family types.
Our country claims that the importance of family is a core value as a society. If this is true, we must fund this commission to do this crucial work.