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Hollywood Star Sounds Alarm on ‘Demonic’ Foster Care Industry

July 1, 2026

Christian Hollywood actress Jen Lilley has exposed what she describes as a “demonic” side of America’s foster care system, warning that bad actors are financially rewarded when vulnerable children deteriorate under their care.

Lilley, a popular actress and singer known for her work with the Hallmark Channel and Great American Family, spoke out during an appearance on the Shawn Ryan Podcast.

The actress, who has served as a foster parent, detailed how the system can be manipulated by people who view children as a source of income rather than as vulnerable lives in need of protection.

Lilley said the problem is not simply that foster parents receive financial support.

The deeper concern, she warned, is that higher reimbursements for children with greater medical, emotional, and behavioral needs can be exploited by people with the wrong motives.

Foster Parent Brags About Making $28,000 a Month

Lilley recalled a disturbing exchange at a Los Angeles conference where she spoke with more experienced foster care parents.

According to Lilley, one woman openly described how she made large sums of money through foster care.

“Oh honey, I make $28,000 a month off foster care … because I have this many kids,” the woman said.

The woman then allegedly explained that foster parents could receive more money by taking in children with higher needs.

“Here’s the thing: You want to get a D-Rate kid,” the woman told Lilley.

The woman explained that children with more serious medical, emotional, or behavioral issues bring higher reimbursement rates.

According to Lilley, the woman then described how children struggling in school or being placed on medication could increase payments.

Alarmingly, the woman revealed that she’s motivated to “make sure” kids do poorly in school.

“You want to make sure they fail in school,” the woman said.

“If they fail in school and you can get them on medication, your rate goes up.

“Every time they don’t pass a grade, your rate goes up because they’re a more difficult kid.

“Every time they need medication, your rate goes up.”

Lilley condemned the situation in blunt terms.

“This is a demonic situation that exists because the church closed her doors,” Lilley said.

Higher Payments Intended to Support Harder Cases

Foster care reimbursement rates vary depending on the child’s needs, age, location, and placement type.

According to a 2025 report by The Up Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit that supports foster families, children with medical, emotional, or behavioral challenges can qualify for higher reimbursement rates.

Older children may also receive higher stipends because of increased costs for food, clothing, and activities.

Payments can also vary by state or county depending on the cost of living.

Emergency placements may provide higher daily rates because of urgent needs.

Therapeutic or treatment foster care, where children require more specialized attention, can come with significantly higher payments.

Foster care payments can reach up to $1,200 per month per child, depending on the state, the child’s age, and the level of care required.

Lilley acknowledged that the intent behind higher rates may have been to keep responsible foster parents engaged in difficult cases.

However, she warned that the system can also create perverse incentives.

Lilley Warns System Rewards the Wrong People

Lilley said the higher rates were likely meant to “incentivize good people to stick with it.”

However, she said the result has been far more troubling.

“What it did was to incentivize all the wrong people — people who are in it for the money instead of for the love of a child,” Lilley said.

WATCH:

Foster Mom Exposes the Demonic Fraud Inside Foster Care

“She goes, ‘Oh honey, I make $28,000 a month on foster care.’ I was like, ‘What?’ And she was like, ‘Yeah, because I have this many kids.’ She goes, ‘Here’s the thing. You want to make sure they fail in school. If they fail… pic.twitter.com/BDS7jN809I

— Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyan762) June 18, 2026

Her warning cuts to the heart of a disturbing reality in the child welfare system.

Children placed in foster care are often already traumatized, abandoned, abused, or medically fragile.

When those children are placed with adults who treat them as financial assets, the system meant to protect them can become another source of harm.

Lilley’s comments also point to a broader failure by institutions that were once expected to care for vulnerable children.

By saying the crisis exists because “the church closed her doors,” Lilley argued that Christians and faith communities must do more than criticize the system from the outside.

They must step in to protect children before predatory actors do.

Her remarks serve as a warning that foster care reform cannot focus only on funding.

It must also confront the incentives that allow bad actors to profit from the suffering of children who have already endured far too much.