In the mid- to late 90s President Clinton pushed through legislation to streamline and monetize public adoption from foster care.
People who adopted sibling groups, minorities, and special needs kids from foster care received free adoptions, public healthcare benefits for the children, and variable daily payment of ten to over forty dollars per day, per child. And in some states, like Texas where the Hart kids were from, college benefits.
Before this legislation (and the change in the ethos on adoption) children remained in foster care for years and parental rights remained robust.
After the legislation some enterprising judges saw a way to monetize the adoption of low income, disadvantaged children.
I lived in a county and fostered in a system where the abuses crossed every line of protection to include coercing disabled mothers to relinquish their rights or face the threat of criminal charges. Women would be targeted while pregnant, their babies taken from the hospital after birth, and adoptions processed within 6 months.
The Clinton system was designed to move foster kids out of the system. It was designed to monetize the adoption of children who were normally left in foster care. While it may have helped some, it harmed many.
There is a greater than 80 percent chance that the Hart mothers received generous federal payouts to take their “kids from hard backgrounds.”
Which means tax dollars would have funded their household, bought the car they drove over the cliff, and have been significant source of income intended for the benefit of the children.
No one should get paid to beat, starve, and murder children
Who never had a chance.
Elealee's Blog 
Elea- I hadn’t thought of this. But of course you’re right. My two adopted foster children receive subsidies each of $285 a month. They were not considered special needs based on mental or medical issues at the adoption. This was based completely on the fact that they are biracial. They also qualify for Medicaid. That said, I am extremely thankful for these services for my older son who has severe mental health issues and has had to be hospitalized and in residential treatment facilities for the last six years. While I do have health insurance through my job, I would have extensive deductibles and co-pays that I could not afford. I have course agree with you about this particular family, but do want to make sure people are aware that the subsidies and Medicaid are critical to families like my own. My son should have received these based on his mental health issues, not being biracial.
I agree with you. I only knew about the money because 1. Our adoptees got it because they were siblings and 2. I ended up running across a baby selling scheme in the county where we fostered. I agree with you especially about the Medicaid, but I think that many of these adoptions are rushed through by the system and the problems the children have are minimized leaving adoptive families with HUGE mental health or criminal issues that not even Medicaid will cover.
At one point we were told we had to pay 15k per month out of pocket for treatment for our adopted daughter and that she was too mentally ill for juvenile detention (she was violent)
I want to tear the bandaid off the whole system
With you 100%. I don’t know if you remember me, but we talked maybe back several years ago as I was struggling with sending my son to residential treatment. You were extremely supportive and helpful.
AND why weren’t you able to get Medicaid to cover treatment for your daughter???!!!
They would pay for emergency inpatient at 30k or more per week, but said that residential was not covered
That’s so unfair. I guess states run Medicaid, but thankfully I’ve not had that issue in NC
Definitely think it varies state to state. I believe that “the system” does need to do all it can help kids and the families who love them