Only the State of New York has a higher number. Yet, Texas is near the bottom nationwide in providing benefits of any kind. As most of us know, TANF in Texas pays $68 per month for the first child in a family and less than $40 per month for the second child. The little state of Delaware provides more monthly assistance than Texas, the second largest and one of the richest (in natural resources) and fastest-growing states in the nation.

States receive federal funding to administer their benefit programs, based on many qualifiers; population and individual income of its citizens being two of those qualifiers. Each state distributes those funds as it sees fit. Is it possible that smaller, less populated states with more affluence per capita, receive more federal funds than big ol' Texas with its millions of poor people?

Grandparents raising children have reached a point in their lives when their earning power is nearing an end. Retirement is looming. Those of us who were able to plan for retirement probably did not include the cost of raising a child in those plans. Our physical stamina and health are deteriorating, as is our patience. We take these children in as an act of love, but it's NOT easier the second (or third) time around.

Those tiny little chairs in classrooms seem to get smaller every year, yet here we are, sitting in them once again for parent-teacher conferences. Barbie and Bob the Builder and Power Puff Girls are not what we consider prime entertainment. Scouting, Little League, football, dance, gymnastics, soccer, and all the other activities children have a right to participate in, are simply more than most of us can handle, much less afford. And then there's diapers, inoculations, dentist visits, potty training, the need for homeroom mothers, field trip chaperones, homework supervision - the list goes on and on. But we struggle on daily, trying to not deprive our grandchildren of the things other children have, and that our children (their parents) received when they were growing up.

So many of the children being raised by grandparents are "special needs." Special needs range from learning disabilities to severe behavioral, physical and mental handicaps. At the least, these children need special education services and counseling; others need full-time nursing and rehabilitative services. Granted, Medicaid picks up the tab for a portion of those needs. There is a huge gap, though, in finding funding for special education, social skills development, tutoring, and skilled teaching services that so many of our children need.

Some of us need housing assistance. Some of our younger grandparents are still raising children of their own. Some of us are single. Others have disabilities and mobility problems.

Only when the over 500,000 of us in the State of Texas unite and approach our legislators as a group, will we see changes made.

 We have to become visible and become the "squeaky wheel." We are not attempting to establish another group of welfare abusers. We are not young, healthy adults who are unwilling to work. OBVIOUSLY!

Grandparents raising grandchildren need to be set apart as a unique group with unique needs. A group that should be encouraged to continue its efforts for these precious children. No grandparent should be forced to let their grandchild(ren) go into foster care because they cannot afford to keep them, or they cannot do it alone, or for any other reason.

Foster parents receive a great deal more than $68 per month for each child they take in (even in Texas, which pays everyone less than most others). In all fairness, Texas is not a state where people can make a lucrative career out of being foster parents. Most of them do it for the love of children.

Yet, foster children do receive state-financed total care - housing, clothing, food, transportation, medical care. They receive college tuition assistance. We grandparents save the state thousands, if not millions, of dollars each month by keeping our grandchildren out of foster care. Why should our grandchildren not receive clothing vouchers and college tuition assistance? Why should we not receive adequate funding to support our grandchildren? Food, housing, transportation and the multitude of other children's needs do not come cheaply.