Report grim on teens after foster care

Report grim on teens after foster care

http://www.boston.com/news/local/art...r_foster_care/

By David Abel
Globe Staff / June 5, 2008

In the first report of its kind on the foster care system, a survey of
teenagers who recently left state custody found that nearly half have
become pregnant or have impregnated someone, more than one-third have
experienced homelessness, and nearly one-third have been threatened or
injured with a weapon since going out on their own.

The report, to be released today by The Boston Foundation, also found
that 60 percent of these former foster children experienced symptoms of
depression, 54 percent were unemployed, 34 percent used illegal drugs,
25 percent have been arrested, 11 percent have been sexually assaulted,
and 8 percent have been incarcerated.

"I think this report is an indictment of the system, which somehow
expects 18-year-olds who have had difficult lives to plan an effective
strategy for their future," said David Trueblood, a spokesman for The
Boston Foundation. "The numbers underscore that the system as it is now
puts kids at risk."

The report surveyed 96 foster care children who aged out of the system
in 2005. At the time, they were among 812 18-year-olds in the custody of
the state Department of Social Services, and nearly half of them had
lived in more than 10 homes or institutions.

Although those in foster care are eligible for services until their 22d
birthday, fewer than half of the young adults surveyed received the
services, which include therapy, housing assistance, and life-skills
training. They can also remain in foster care.

Alison Goodwin, a DSS spokeswoman, said the state has been working to
increase the number of foster care children who receive services after
aging out of the system. She said the numbers of those remaining in DSS
custody after their 18th birthday has increased over the past six years,
with about 8 percent of those now placed in homes or institutions
between ages 18 and 21.

She said the report does not fault the state. "I don't really think this
is about the foster care system," Goodwin said. "It's about children who
do not grow up with their own families who have trouble making a smooth
transition to adulthood."

The report urges lawmakers to establish a transition system for youth
aging out of the system and to increase mentoring programs. It calls for
social workers to promote stronger relationships between foster children
and their relatives or other caring adults. It also urges schools and
state colleges to create "foster care liaison" positions to help
students who have recently left state custody.

Della M. Hughes, a senior fellow at the Brandeis Heller School for
Social Policy and Management who helped write the 36-page report, said
the state should stop cutting human services. "What's happening to these
kids is unacceptable," she said.

Bryon Hefner, 20, is one of those youths.

"I've been to everything the state has to offer," he said. "I see kids
leave at 18 and have nothing, no prospects, and they leave believing
they have no future. It's not surprising at all that they end up going
from one system to another."
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.





An Inconvenient Truth about Child Protective Services, Foster care, and
the Child Protection "INDUSTRY"

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

every parent should read the free handbook from
connecticut dcf watch...

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/Foster care 160, biological Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS/Foster care 112, biological Parents 13
Neglect CPS/Foster care 410, biological Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS/Foster care 14 biological Parents 12
Fatalities CPS/Foster care 6.4, biological Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.

THIS IS AMERICA'S HIDDEN HOLOCAUST

Currently Child Protective Services violates more constitutionally
guaranteed liberties & civil rights on a daily basis then all other
agencies combined, Including the National Security agency/Central
intelligence agency wiretaping programs…

THE CORRUPT BUSINESS OF CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES
BY: Nancy Schaefer Senator, 50th District of Georgia

http://www.senatornancyschaefer.com/...s.php?filter=6

This is Child Protection?
By Gregory A. Hession, J.D.

http://www.jbs.org/node/4632

Mercenary Motherhood: "Memoirs of a Babystealer."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...nion-rightrail

FOSTER CARE IS A 80 PERCENT FAILU. A Brief Analysis of the Casey
Family Programs. Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study. By Richard Wexler

http://www.nccpr.org/reports/cfpanalysis.doc

HOW THE WAR AGAINST CHILD ABUSE BECAME A WAR AGAINST CHILDREN

http://www.nccpr.org/issues/1.html

Adoption Bonuses: The Money Behind the Madness
DSS and affiliates rewarded for breaking up families
By Nev Moore Massachusetts News

http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/...May/mayds4.htm

A recent study has found that 12-18 months after leaving foster ca

30% of the nation’s homeless are former foster children.
27% of the males and 10% of the females had been incarcerated
33% were receiving public assistance
37% had not finished high school
2% receive a college degree
50% were unemployed

Children in foster care are three to six times more likely than children
not in care to have emotional, behavioral and developmental problems,
including conduct disorders, depression, difficulties in school and
impaired social relationships. Some experts estimate that about 30% of
the children in care have marked or severe emotional problems. Various
studies have indicated that children and young people in foster care
tend to have limited education and job skills, perform poorly in school
compared to children who are not in foster care, lag behind in their
education by at least one year, and have lower educational attainment
than the general population.
*Casey Family Programs National Center for Resource Family Support

80 percent of prison inmates have been through the foster care system.

The highest ranking federal official in charge of foster care, Wade Horn
of the Department of Health and Human Services, is a former child
psychologist who says the foster care system is a giant mess and should
just be blown up.

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=2017991

Four rigorous studies have found that at least 30 percent of America’s
foster children could be home right now if their parents had decent housing.

This study found thousands of children already in foster care who would
have done better had child protection agencies not taken them away in
the first place.

Front-page story in USA Today.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...m?csp=34#Close

Read the studies online.

Casey "alumni" study: "Improving Family Foster Ca Findings from the
Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study,"

http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publi...lumniStudy.htm

MIT study: "Child Protection and Child Outcomes: Measuring the Effects
of Foster Care,"

http://www.mit.edu/~jjdoyle/doyle_fo...arch07_aer.pdf

Texas comptroller's "Forgotten Children" reports:

www.window.state.tx.us/forgottenchildren

The bottom line? - Child Protective Services and the Foster Care system
for the most part turns out young adults that are nothing more than
walking wreckage...

CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CONSTITUTIONALLY
GUARANTEED LIBERTIES & CIVIL RIGHTS ON A DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER
AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY/CENTRAL
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WIRETAPPING PROGRAMS....

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS 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...