Maryland State launches foster care reform..

State launches foster care reform

By Lynn Anderson | Sun reporter
August 3, 2007
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/hea...,2306479.story

Maryland's child welfare agency has joined with the Annie E. Casey
Foundation to reform foster care in the state, including increasing the
number of foster families and reducing the waiting time for families who
wish to adopt a child in foster care.

The foundation's Casey Strategic Consulting Group has worked with
officials in New York City and Indiana to improve social services, said
Brenda Donald, the head of the Maryland Department of Human Resources,
which oversees foster care in the state. The number of children in
foster care in New York was roughly cut in half between 1996 and 2004.

Donald said she is confident that the partnership will result in similar
changes in child protective services in Maryland. She said she hopes to
reduce the number of children in group homes, and place more with
relatives or "mom and pop" foster families.

Statewide, there are about 10,200 children in foster care; of those,
about 1,900 are in group homes, Donald said. Advocates have complained
that the state is placing too many children in group homes or
residential treatment facilities because they don't have enough foster
families.

The problem is particularly serious in the city. The number of foster
families in Baltimore has dropped from 1,784 in December 2004 to 1,456
at the end of last year.

"Our kids cannot wait," said Donald, who was appointed head of DHR by
Gov. Martin O'Malley in January. "I want to bring a sense of urgency to
the situation."

Consultants with Casey have begun analyzing the state's foster care
rosters to see where children are placed now and if there is a placement
that would better suit their needs, Donald said. The consulting team
will provide an initial list of recommendations to Donald and her staff
in September, she said. In 18 months, Donald expects a "noticeable change."

She said she hopes that with supportive family services, such as
counseling and classes on child-rearing, some children will be able to
stay with their biological parents instead of being placed in foster
care. If children have to be removed from their homes, she said she
would like more to stay with relatives. The problem in the past,
however, has been that some relatives have lead paint or other household
problems that prevent them from qualifying as foster parents.

"We need to take care of the lead paint," Donald said.

DHR's new strategy is called "Place Matters," and it reflects Donald's
belief that children should remain at home, or at least, within their
communities. She said she is willing to shift resources to make sure
that happens.

"The government should not be raising children," Donald said.




CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...