Welfare Kids Staying Longer In Foster Care

Welfare Kids Staying Longer In Foster Care
April 27, 2004
United Press International

CLEVELAND, Apr 26, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) --
Researchers have found one result of welfare reform programs is U.S.
children are being kept longer in foster care.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University also observed steady
increases between 1995 and 2001 in the number of children with
substantiated reports of abuse and neglect and in the number of
children referred to foster care services. In May 1995, for example,
439 children in Cuyahoga County, encompassing the Cleveland
metropolitan area, were found to be abused or neglected. There were
593 such children in June 2001.

When the researchers examined three groups of foster children -- one
that entered before welfare reform and two that entered afterward --
they found an increasing proportion of children remained in foster
care for more than one year.

In addition, the research shows family income is related to the speed
with which children return home. For example, children whose mothers
lost a significant amount of cash assistance after their children were
placed in foster care went home more slowly than did children whose
mothers did not. In addition, children whose mothers had higher
incomes went home more quickly than did children whose mothers had
lower incomes.
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