PROVIDENCE — Rhode Island state government reimbursement rates for foster parents are below the amounts needed to care for troubled children and are the second-lowest in New England, according to a national study released yesterday.

The study done by the National Foster Parent Association, Children Rights, a child advocacy group, and the University of Maryland School of Social Work, shows that Rhode Island foster parents receive monthly rates of $463 for children from birth to age 3, $454 for children 4 to 11, and $543 for children 12 to 18.

The national average for such care is $479 monthly for children between birth and 3, $501 for ages 4 to 11 and $559 for those aged 12 and over.

That compares poorly to the neighboring states of Connecticut and Massachusetts. In Connecticut, foster parents are paid $756 monthly for children from birth to age 3, $767 for children 4 to 11 and $834 for children over 12. In Massachusetts, foster parents are given $490 monthly for children from birth to age 3, $531 for those aged 3 to 11 and $616 for children over age 12.

New Hampshire is the only state with reimbursement rates lower than those paid to Rhode Island foster parents, who care for children who have been removed from their homes.

“People pay more to put their dogs in a kennel for the day than the state pays for foster care,” said Lisa Guillette, executive director of the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association. “That’s sad.”

Most Rhode Island foster parents come from the ranks of middle- and low-income Rhode Islanders, Guillette said. “Most of our affluent folks don’t want to get involved with foster care,” said Guillette. “The people who come forward to volunteer to be foster parents are the people with the biggest hearts, not the biggest wallets.”

Guillette says she is concerned that Governor Carcieri’s promise to cut 1,000 jobs from state employment will lead to layoffs in the Department of Children, Youth and Families. “I am worried they are going to cut frontline social workers…who are already overburdened, with caseloads they can’t keep up with.”

Guillette said the R.I. Foster Parents Association will battle in next year’s General Assembly session to secure more financing for foster children.

“The Rhode Island General Assembly will continue this year to achieve efficiencies in our child-welfare system so that we can provide adequate support for those families volunteering to care for and nurture our children most at risk,” said Rep. William San Bento, D-Pawtucket.

smackay@projo.com