Cops concerned over foster care funding

Cops concerned over foster care funding

California law enforcement leaders have released a new report, focused
on Northern California, that finds placing a ceiling on federal foster
care funding would likely result in more child abuse and more crime
when abused children grow up.

Law enforcement officials urged Congressman Wally Herger, who is
expected to reintroduce broad foster care reform legislation, to
ensure that Northern California can provide a safe home for every
child who needs one.

Herger's anticipated proposal, based on legislation that he introduced
last year, would eliminate the 25-year-old safe homes guarantee and,
as a result, fail to account for unexpected increases in the number of
kids who need foster placements.

"I've seen methamphetamine rip families apart in our community for the
last decade," said Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker, a member of the
FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California Executive Committee.

"Providing a safe home for the child victims of the crystal meth
epidemic is critical to the public safety of our community," Parker
said.

"I commend Congressman Wally Herger for his commitment to children,"
Parker said. "But, I'm concerned that a funding cap on foster care,
when foster care case loads are increasing in our community, would
fail to account for the growing number of kids who will need safe
homes in our county."

The report, Keeping the Promise of a Safe Home for Northern
California's Children: The Impact on Child Abuse and Future Crime of
Capping Federal Foster Care Funds, finds that limiting foster care
funding could have a devastating impact on the community for several
reasons:

Tehama County could be denied critical foster care funding if
caseloads continue to grow. Since 1998, foster care caseloads have
increased by 34 percent in Tehama County and by 20 percent in Northern
California.

If caseloads increase in other parts of California, the northern
counties would be forced to compete for limited funds with larger,
urban counties.

The risk to Northern California is magnified by the fact that foster
care caseloads are declining statewide.

As a result, the amount of funding to place kids in safe homes would
be capped at a low level despite trends showing the need for foster
care on the rise in Northern California.

The report also concludes that the scourge of methamphetamine
addiction is a major reason why foster care caseloads have increased
25 percent in Northern California, just as the crack epidemic in
America produced a rising wave of abuse and neglect by addicted
parents.

In response to the findings of the report, Randi Gottlieb, program
manager, Child Welfare Services, Tehama County Department of Social
Services, said: "We have had an increase in children coming into the
foster care system due to increased methamphetamine use in our
county."

The region is leading the nation in the effort to protect kids exposed
to meth and other drugs. For example, Butte County saw the number of
drug-exposed children rescued in its county increase five-foldfrom 45
children in 1999 to 223 in 2003.

Current law guarantees that California always has enough money to
provide abused and neglected children with foster homes thanks to a
matching share from the federal government for every eligible child.

However, Herger is currently considering introducing legislation that
would place a ceiling on national foster care funding to the states.

"Foster care caseloads are increasing in Northern California and we
need Herger's help to ensure we can provide a safe home for every
child who needs one," said Barrie Becker, state director of FIGHT
CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California.

"Plans to limit foster care funding could well mean leaving kids in
homes where they face continuing abuse or neglect and exposure to
violence and drugs," Becker said. "The research shows that this
proposed cap could be more costly and lead to more crime in the long
run."

FIGHT CRIME: INVEST IN KIDS California, an anti-crime organization led
by more than 300 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and
crime victimsincluding over 30 in Herger's district cites research
that shows leaving kids in dangerous homes where they face continuing
abuse and neglect increases the risk that they will become violent
criminals by 27 percent.

Four out of 10 children who are abused and neglected and left in their
homes, but later need to be placed in foster care because of further
abuse, commit violent crimes when they grow up.

California would not be alone in facing a shortage of safe foster
homes for at-risk children under this proposed new limit on national
foster care dollars.

More than three-fourths of the states had an increase in demand for
foster care in at least one of the four years from 1999 to 2003.

The report is available at www.fightcrime.org/ca.
http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/Sto...01602,00.htmlv



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