AUGUSTA – Pay reductions that go into effect this summer could discourage some Maine foster parents from caring for children in the future, the president of the state’s foster parent association said.

“People in foster care have feelings toward their children,” Joyce Pringle said. But, she added, “I have heard people say when these children are gone, they will not take any more.”

The new payment schedule took effect last July, but parents with children already assigned to their homes will see their payments change in August.

The payment schedule for foster parents was reduced from 52 categories to five, part of changes reducing the state’s foster care expenditures by $800,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30 and $2.3 million over the next year.

The changes also redistributed fees so that foster parents caring for special-needs children now get less money and foster parents with less-difficult children got a raise.

Focusing on training and support has helped recruitment of foster parents in some parts of the state, even in the face of pay cuts, Bureau of Child and Family Services spokesman Michael Norton said.

“The best recruiters for foster parents are other foster parents. And if the foster parents aren’t happy, it’s really hard to recruit,” Norton said.

Foster care spending needed to be cut to bring Maine into line with other states. Maine’s rates were among the top 10 in the country, he said.