Nigeria, the sickest of the children, must be given eight medications daily. Her brother, the only other child with full-blown AIDS, gets seven. The Neimans have three daughters, the youngest of whom is a junior in high school. The girls, Neiman says, lend a hand on occasion but do not feel that five needy children take away from her ability to parent them. They know this is how I make money, not much money but some.
Foster parents receive a monthly payment per child.
Parents who serve as special home-services providers receive more plus the respite and nursing care. Nonetheless, every month, Neiman says, the family ends up spending money from its own pocket for toys, clothes and food. While all her children are remarkable to Neiman, her face softens more than usual when she speaks of Nigeria, whom she adopted two years ago. Nobody else takes HIV-positive kids. If we didn't take them, they'd sit in the system.