I have been a licensed adult foster care provider for 27 years, now being referred to as a family centered home. My license allows me to provide care for adults 18 years of age and older. There are only a few of these homes left, as they are being phased out.

I keep daily records, get inspected by the state, have fire inspections yearly and get visits from case managers every other month.

It is not that state officials don't want people to stop caring for others, but they want you to go through an agency and take only one consumer, paying $30,000 per year, plus administration costs. There are other agencies that house four or more consumers with 24-hour staff. They also have administrators, directors, etc., all getting above the $30,000 per person figure.

Those homes are needed for those consumers who require 24-hour care, but there are many who don't.

I do not have 24-hour staff, administrators or directors. It is just myself and family members who run our home. It is family-oriented, with home-cooked meals, family conversations, activities and more.

If the state officials were smart, they would go back to family-centered home care with one or more consumers in the home. Maybe then, the state could save some money.

If it isn't broken, why fix it?

But, what do I know? All I know is what I and others have done for years, giving consumers an alternative to large agencies and nursing homes.

Maryann Arthur, Buckfield