For
the first post, each group will learn some information about each person’s
family of origin. This should aid each group in beginning to imagine their
respective adoptee. While some of the information may at first appear to be
unrelated to our subject of study, life-span issues for individuals with
disabilities, fear not. It will all make sense as we move through the semester.
Lisa Pennington – Week One
They had planned for this, but they couldn’t believe it was
actually true – they were having a girl! Their 2 ½ year old son would have a
sister. They busily made preparations
and made sure to keep all of the “baby” things they had used with their son. The
Penningtons were concerned because Scott had just lost his job, and Marsha didn’t
work. They had made a decision that one of them would stay home, and Marsha was
the one. Now it looked like they would both be home — for a while. Scott and
Marsha were unsure how they would keep their home, and they both started to
look for work.
How much money does it take per year to raise a
family of four in Virginia? (Hint: there was a study out of UVA a couple of
months ago that had this data)
What is the average annual salary in Virginia? In Harrisonburg/Rockingham?
What is the cost of having a child in a
hospital? What if a C-section is necessary – what is the cost for that?
According to the study, “Building Economic Security for Virginia Families,” conducted at the University of Virginia in February 2011 the average cost of raising a family of four in Virginia is double the federal poverty threshold, which in Virginia is $21,756. Thus, it costs a family of four at least $43,512 to live in the state of VA. The study also notes that the cost of living is affected by regional differences throughout the state.
ReplyDeleteLinks for reference:
http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/publications/building-economic-security-virginia-families
According to data from the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the average annual income in Virginia was $61,126. Please note that regional differences also account for differences in annual income. The annual income in Virginia may be higher or lower than the annual income in certain counties. For example, in Rockingham County, VA the average annual salary was $51,232.
Links for reference:
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/statemedian/index.html
http://www.coopercenter.org/demographics/interactive-map/citycounty/3295
Another consideration to keep in mind before bearing children are hospital costs and how much possible complications, such as a c-sections, could run. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2008 said that charges for “uncomplicated vaginal births” were about $9,000 and the “uncomplicated cesarean section” is about $15,000. These costs are merely estimates and do not take insurance plans into account.
Links for reference:
http://www.webmd.com/baby/features/cost-of-having-a-baby?page=3