Catholic charities paid Oregon militia spokesman over $100,000 a year to foster children

Oregon militia spokesman Robert “LaVoy” Finicum said that four of his foster children, living with his wife in Arizona, were taken away.

“I hope people are seeing the sacrifices we’re making here,” Finicum said.

Over the past decade, the Finicum family has fostered more than 50 boys who often come from group homes, drug rehabs, and psychiatric institutions in their Chino Valley ranch house.

“My ranch has been a great tool for these boys,” Finicum said. “It has done a lot of good.”

The militia spokesman said his wife was caring for the children while he was away occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. According to reports, a social worker removed the first of them on January 4th, just a few days after to Oregon and the last was removed on January 9th.

He blames “pressure from the feds,” who “must have gotten to the governor, who told the state to get them out of there.”

According to opd:

That represents an enormous loss of income for the Finicums. According to a 2010 tax filing, Catholic Charities paid the family $115,343 to foster children in 2009. That year, foster parents were compensated between $22.31 and $37.49 per child, per day, meaning if the Finicums were paid at the maximum rate, they cared for, on average, eight children per day in 2009.

“That was my main source of income,” Finicum said. “My ranch, well, the cows just cover the costs of the ranch. If this means rice and beans for the next few years, so be it. We’re going to stay the course.”
Since then, Catholic Charities has increased payments for foster care significantly, but it does not itemize the dollar amount the Finicums were paid in subsequent years.

Another militia man, said in a video that Child Protective Services took his children out of his home. However, his claim could not be independently verified.

“I want to show what my government is doing,” Finicum said. “You need to understand the cost being paid by many people.”

Featured image: Robert “LaVoy” Finicum (The Oregonian)

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