Casey Family Programs Releases Statement on Proposed Cuts To Child Welfare Programs

Casey Family Programs Releases Statement on Proposed Cuts To Child
Welfare Programs
WASHINGTON, D. C. – Ruth Massinga, president and CEO of Casey Family
Programs, the nation’s largest foundation focused on foster care,
released the following statement in response to proposed cuts to child
welfare programs now being considered by the House Ways and Means
Committee:

“It’s shocking to think that Congress would attempt to cut foster care
benefits to hundreds of thousands of abused and neglected children who
are being cared for by relatives – what we call kinship care. Most of
these families are already struggling to make ends meet. If we deny
them federal financial support, these children are likely to end up
being placed with strangers in the foster care system. It’s contrary
to our stated policy objectives to preserve families, and it is
contrary to the safety and well being of these children. Moreover, it
would increase the burden on a system that is already struggling to
find suitable foster families.”

Massinga is referring to the House Ways & Means Committee proposal
that includes a provision which would overturn a 2003 Ninth Circuit
Court decision, known as “Rosales v. Thompson.”

Rosales vs. Thompson effectively expanded the number of children
eligible for federally funded foster care assistance to include
children who were living in the home of a grandparent or other
relative, often referred to as kinship care. Additionally, lawmakers
need to be mindful that this proposed change would have a
disproportionate impact on children of color and their families.

Massinga also took issue with efforts that would decrease the amount
of funds available for child care for low-income working families
under the Child Care and Development block grant program at the same
time Congress is moving toward increasing the work requirements for
recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits.
“If we don’t provide adequate child care for these families we are
setting them up for failure. How can we expect them to work and care
for their children if we create yet another obstacle to protecting
these children?

Two weeks ago, Casey Family Programs introduced a report about the
damage that would be done to children in foster care from more than
$10 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid. Now, the attacks to this
nation’s most vulnerable children are coming on yet another front. We
fear that all of these proposals would have the effect of moving more
kids into the child welfare and foster care system, and creating
long-term negative outcomes for these children and for our federal
budget,” Massinga concluded.

About Casey Family ProgramsCasey Family Programs is the largest
national foundation whose sole mission is to provide and improve – and
ultimately prevent the need for – foster care. The foundation draws on
its 40 years of experience and expert research and analysis to improve
the lives of children and youth in foster care in two important ways:
by providing direct services and support to foster families; and
promoting improvements in child welfare practice and policy. The
Seattle-based foundation was established in
1966 by United Parcel Service (UPS) founder Jim Casey, and has a
current endowment of $2 billion.
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