Hollywood Star Exposes The Perverse, ‘Demonic’ Fraud Inside Foster Care System

(LifeSiteNews) — A Christian Hollywood star has exposed the dark side of the foster care system which incentivises the bad behavior of people who medically and socially abuse children placed in their care.  

Actress and singer Jen Lilley, a popular leading lady on the Hallmark and Great American Family Channels, went on the Shawn Ryan Podcast to discuss her experiences as a foster care parent.  

Lilley explained how “bad people” make money by gaming the foster care system.

The actress recounted a disturbing exchange at a Los Angeles conference where she spoke with more experienced foster care parents.

 “Oh honey, I make $28,000 a month off foster care … because I have this many kids,” one woman said.  

“Here’s the thing: You want to get a D-Rate kid,” this woman continued, explaining that the more medical, emotional, and behavioral needs a child has, the more the foster care system will reimburse the foster parent.  

“You want to make sure they fail in school. If they fail in school and you can get them on medication, your rate goes up,” the woman told Lilley. “Every time they don’t pass a grade, your rate goes up because they’re a more difficult kid. Every time they need medication, your rate goes up.”

Lilley declared, “This is a demonic situation that exists because the church closed her doors.” 

According to a 2025 report by The Up Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that supports foster families, several factors do indeed determine how much financial support a foster family receives, including:

• Special Needs: Children with medical, emotional, or behavioral challenges qualify for higher reimbursement rates.
• Age Groups: Older children typically have higher stipends due to increased costs for clothing, food, and activities.
• Location: Payments vary by state, and sometimes even by county, depending on cost of living.
• Emergency Placement: Short-term or emergency foster care may provide higher daily rates due to urgent needs.
• Level of Care: Therapeutic or treatment foster care, where children require more specialized attention, comes with significantly higher payments.

Foster care payments range up to $1,200 per month per child depending on the state, age of the child, and level of care required. 

Lilley noted that the intention of increasing the rates is likely meant to “incentivise good people to stick with it, but what it did was to incentivise all the wrong people — people who are in it for the money instead of for the love of a child.”