Funding for Foster Care Organizations

Introduction

Child welfare is an important rising issue around the world, the United States, and specifically in western New York. In 2015, over 670,000 children spent time in U.S. foster care. On any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015).

Global and National Perspectives on Foster Care

The Children's Rights Organization states that on average, children remain in state care for nearly two years, and six percent of children in foster care have languished there for five or more years (Children's Rights, 2015). There are millions of children in foster care around the world; they are children left without adequate resources and strong support systems, which, in turn, does not allow these youth to reach their fullest potential. Family foster care began in China in the early 1990s. Currently, about 30,000 children are living in foster families across the country. This is nearly four-fifths (78%) of the 68,300 children in care looked after away from home (Wang, 2015). There are around 44,625 foster families in England (Department for Education, 2015).

The Role of Foster Organizations

Foster organizations should improve their environments for the foster children. More children are entering foster care in the early years of life when brain growth and development are most active. The nerve connections and neurotransmitter networks that are forming during these critical years are influenced by negative environmental conditions, including lack of stimulation, child abuse, or violence within the family. Basic stimulation techniques and stable, predictable nurturance are necessary during these periods to enable optimal cognitive, language, and personal socialization skills. The pediatrician, with knowledge of the child’s medical and family history, may assist the social service and judicial systems in determining the best setting to help the child feel safe and heal. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians advocate for children and adolescents in foster care to receive health care in a medical home (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2015).

Funding for Foster Care Organizations

Foster care, like any other child welfare issue in the United States, requires money for better foundations. Foster care and adoption programs are funded by a wide array of federal, state, local, and private sources. According to OLR Research Report, states vary significantly both in the amounts and proportion of government funds they use to pay for their programs. For example, while the average mix is 51% federal, 37% state, and 12% local, in New York, a total of $1,431,837,874 is spent on Child Placement services and administration, training (OLR Research Report, 2015).

Challenges and Consequences of Foster Care

Neglect has very profound and long-lasting consequences on all aspects of child development—poor attachment formation, under stimulation, development delay, poor physical development, and antisocial behavior. Knowledge of normal child development and family functioning helps identify children receiving insufficient and inappropriate care as well as children who are victims of, or at risk for, abuse or neglect. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, on any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States. An increasing number of young children are being placed in foster care because of parental neglect. According to Child Help Organization, in 2014, state agencies identified an estimated 1,580 children who died as a result of abuse and neglect—between four and five children a day (Child Help Organization, 2014).

The Economic Impact of Foster Care

The government already funds enough for foster care and child welfare agencies and issues. Money isn't a need for the issue to calm down. Too many children are being forced to leave foster care or residential care at 16. Even if they hadn't already had difficult lives, they wouldn't be ready for independence. Children are sent to wherever the companies across the chain can make the most profit. Companies buy homes where properties are cheapest; this could be many miles from the child's local authority. According to City Journal, the nation's foster care system has given rise to an unnoticed and deeply troubling reality: not only has it accepted the inevitability of legions of abused and neglected children, but it has made them into an integral part of the inner-city economy (City Journal, 2015).

Conclusion

Welfare advocates treat foster care payments as just another routine way to pump government money into troubled neighborhoods. Whole communities of grandmothers are living on the money they receive for their abused or neglected grandchildren. It is imperative that society addresses these systemic issues to ensure that foster care serves its intended purpose: to provide a safe, nurturing environment that fosters the well-being and development of all children.

References:

• American Academy of Pediatrics. (2015). Policy Statement: Health Care of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care. Pediatrics, 130(6), 1170-1173.
• Children's Rights. (2015). Aging Out. Retrieved from https://www.childrensrights.org
• Child Help Organization. (2014). National Child Abuse Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/
• City Journal. (2015). The Unseen Cost of Foster Care. Retrieved from https://www.city-journal.org
• Department for Education. (2015). Fostering in England. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children
• OLR Research Report. (2015). Federal and State Funding for Foster Care Programs. Retrieved from https://www.cga.ct.gov/olr/
• Wang, X. (2015). Family Foster Care in China. China Journal of Social Work, 8(1), 3-17.