Foster/adoptedchildren- how many is too much? Should there be a limit?

I would like to think that the majority of the people who get involved with foster care are doing it because they want to help other families and children in need. There are of course, as with anything, those who are in it for the wrong reasons. Money from the State for those people I am sure is there motivation. Foster parents get paid more for taking in special needs children. However, I would also like to add that for the people who are doing it to truly help, taking on foster children, especially those with special needs is an extremely hard job. It is nothing like having your own child. There are rules that foster parents must follow and adhere to, things that a normal parent would not have to do. There is also an extreme shortage of people willing to be foster parents and even the ones who are foster parents are reluctant to take on the special needs cases. This is a big reason why when a family is found willing to take on the special needs cases, they end up with so many children. It's more of a matter of no where else to place these children. The same goes for the adoption. Nearly all Americans looking to adopt a child wants not only an infant, but also a "perfect" child. Children who have been in the foster care system are far from perfect. Even the ones without special needs have emotional problems. Americans will even go outside the US to adopt an infant, and it's sad if you knew the numbers of children here in the US in need of a forever family. They are not infants, and are not perfect, but still in need of a family and love. I am certainly not trying to defend this couple in your home state, because it sounds like what they did was too extreme. I used to be a foster parent though, so I have had the opportunity to see all of this first hand.

I think there should definitely be a limit to how many foster or adopted children you can have. When I worked in day care, they set a ratio of how many caretakers were needed for x number of children. And the younger the children, the higher number of caretakers were needed. So the same should apply in foster homes. This ensures the children are getting the proper care and attention they deserve.

I believe people open their homes up to foster kids because they do it out of goddness and they know they need someone.I do however agree that their should be a limit to how many a couple should be able to take in at a time because kids are alot of work and to many camn be overwhelming for anyone.I do not know why they allow these people to have so many children its absurd.

I believe that if people can have that many children in there home and are able to care for them it does not matter how many kids they have. The main point and concern that I have is that the kids are taken good care of. I know that if the kids are foster kids that there are case workers that regulary come out to the house to check on the kids and there well being. Some people do it for the money but most people like my wife and I do it to make kids life better.

It's possible that this couple started out with good intentions. Or not, but it probably got out of hand when all of a sudden they had too many children and couldn't keep up with the care and needs of them. Regardless of how it came to be, I feel good knowing that the children have all been removed from their care. Many people start foster care because they think it is an easy way to make money. Well if you put the kids in cages then it probably is. I know the social workers are overworked and underpaid. Usually they have so many cases that they can't keep up either . I think the system on a whole needs help so this doesn't keep happening to kids.

I was reaised in a foster home with 7 kids and 5 were special needs. It definatly was too much. I also think it depends on the parents and the help thay have as well. The foster mom I had was awful so it wasn't a nice experience. You also ahve too watch out for those who are doing it for the money. Maybe that is why they have so many. I know they get a lot more money each month if the child has special needs.

in some case's yes there are kind hearts out there.....it's never to late to love any child and when you start becoming a parent that changes everything all the kids need some form of love from us...but i don't beleive we should have foster care that is something everyone should questoin becuase it isn't good for the child....ive seen and herd to much about foster care ...but to become a partent to a child that needs it that is a whole differnt story.....some foster people don't care for the child they are in it just for the money but the people who so it for life to become parents have to do it becuase the subject isn't money but how are they going to be as a parent and how are they going to support them....foster care has that all through the state they get paid for having that child but and adopted parent has to beable to have it before the child gets there so there is a big differnce.....i'd reather have a child adopted to someone not in foster care....it's a rip off for our kids

I believe that many do it for the money. I am an advocate for children, especially children abused in foster care. The foster parents make a good chunk of money for each child and even more for special needs children. They also get free medical care for the children, free lunches if they are in school, and foodstamps to support the children. THere is money involved and I feel that many do it for this reason.

Oh what these children are kept in cages that is appauling, in this case they should not be allowed to have so many foster and adopted children, as if they are like this they must be given to other people so that they can be cared for more carefully and have time for them, I do not know which country you are in but if it was in my country yes they would be receiving a lot of money from the government. I do not think in this case they are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts.

there is a need for special peoples to care fot those who have special needs, no matter how much we have or don't have, we all need each other, we cannot live in this world alone. thank god for people who are willing to help those chilrdren in spite of their needs, that is what you call LOVE in action.

It's horrible that people, like the ones you mentioned, can ruin it for the rest of the people who are responsible foster parents. There are foster parents who have alot of foster kids and can handle all the responsibility even if they are special needs kids. I think that there should be a rule put into place to limit the number of foster kids a family can have at one time, but also, I think that it can depend on the family. Maybe the family has a stay-at-home mother and a father that has a well paying job. In that situation I think that family can handle more children than most. As far as people taking in foster kids in order to make money, I think that this is sad and will, if it hasn't already, hurt the foster families who are doing their best to care for the children they have taken in.

I think it is good that some familay can foster or adpot some kids if they like because this can help those homeless children to feel the concept of home..I am sure that some of the families who foster or adopt children do this out of their goodness of their hearts.

I don't really think the quality of life is affected strictly by how many children are in a home. I have friends and know of people who have 7-15 biological children, and they are all well taken care of. I see no reason to limit how many foster, and especially adopted children a family can take strictly based on numbers. Now, the story you posted is not acceptable. But, abuse, in a foster or non foster family, is going to happen sometimes no matter how many children they have. For the most part, increasing the amount of children, will not directly affect whether abuse/neglect is happening or not. As far as the financial assistance, they do get compensated fairly well here, but not so well if you consider they are responsible for paying that child's basic needs, and its basically a 24/7 "job". One foster mother I know recently stated if she was in it for the money she would run a home daycare, not be a foster parent.

Oh I remember that case! It made national news and I heard about it here in Chicago! I have worked with foster kids before, and I have definitely known families that fostered what seemed like way too many children. I think there should not be a limit on how many children you can foster or adopt, same as there is no limit on how many children you can give birth to. (Did you see that TV show about the family with 16 kids????) However, I do think that if people choose to foster that many kids, their motives should be examined. I have known foster parents who kept taking kids because they just love kids, and couldn't bring themselves to turn down a child in need. On the other hand, I have known families that took on more and more kids, and basically just herded them around, from school to respite care to day care to wherever, while they treated their birth children much differently. The foster kids had to do tons of chores, the birth kids didn't. The birth kids went to Disney World, the foster kids had to stay in respite. The birth kids had fancy halloween costumes, the foster kids all went as ghosts with sheets over their heads. You know?

People sometimes take advantage of situations that are hard to imagine. I could adopt a kid or two but only if i have the conditions for that! Don't make from adoption a business.

adopting a special child is a very responsible thing to do but theres alimit to everything i dont know why people like this couple do this but there should be a stop to such irresponsible adopting!!

Well from what I know when someone foster a child they are given a heathy stipend that makes people really consider fostering kids when money is involved. But people do also do it because they adore and want to help. I dont believe placing a child in a cage like setting. But for pre cautions of their safety other things can be used to make sure they stay safe. Fostering kids with special needs takes a lot of patience and skills. I think the amount of kids a person decides to foster , adopt or have is really up to them. People can adjust to raising many kids. Just look at how some women have given birth to 10, 11, or even 14 kids. I even think about having a big family. As long as the home is safe and loving. Then the women is capable.

may be they love the children a lot and they really care about the children so they must have adopted those many children , i think there is nothing wrong in it, but they must take care of all those children well thats is all.

i think first of all they are helping others. bUt still there should not be unlimited adopted children There should be a limit to that.One should adopt so many children who they can really take care.

Yes they do get payment for it EVEN AFTER THEY ARE FULLY ADOPTED. I know someone who is getting almost $8,000 a month and fukk medicade and clothes and anything else that you can imagine for the children. I think if they can give this to people they should be able to help birth parents more