News
Virginia Lags in Finding Homes for Foster Children
Sunday, Nov 02, 2008
By NADINE MARSH-CARTER
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
The Commonwealth of Virginia has the distinction of leading the nation in a number of impressive categories. We were recently named the best state for business and one of the best states in which to live.
Unfortunately, Virginia also ranks high in a category with significant negative implications. A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts determined that more children "age out" of foster care in the commonwealth than any other state - 21 percent stay in our public system until they turn 18, when they leave their foster families and go out on their own.
As we celebrate National Adoption Month this month and celebrate the success stories of the families created through adoption, we must also face an alarming reality that has a long-term impact on the lives of Virginia's children and our communities.
Children enter the foster care system through no fault of their own.
They have been victims of abuse, neglect, abandonment, or other circumstance that keeps them from remaining at home. While foster care is intended to be a short-term solution, for too many Virginia youth it becomes a long-term journey that includes multiple moves.
The lack of permanence in their lives makes adjustment to adulthood especially challenging and results in lasting consequences. One in four will be incarcerated within two years of leaving foster care; more than one in five will become homeless; one in six will not graduate from high school.
The costs of keeping children in foster care, compounded by the significant expense of incarceration, homelessness, or unemployment that may occur when they "age out," are tremendous. More importantly, every statistic reflects a young person who has been denied the opportunity to have a "forever family."
Who are these children? Their stories are compelling and varied - a 15-year-old victim of sexual abuse, a baby abandoned at the hospital when born with medical disabilities, the 9 and 11-year-old siblings whose greatest fear, after enduring neglect, is that they might be separated from each other.
All of these children greatly deserve - and are waiting for - a permanent family where they may enjoy the love and healing that a lifelong family provides. Sadly, on any given day in our commonwealth, there are nearly 1,600 children in the foster care system who need a permanent family to help them reach their full potential.
Efforts to help Virginia relinquish its distinction as worst in the nation must be expanded. Despite the impact of the economic downturn, the commonwealth must increase the resources to focus on finding permanent families for these children.
It's not only the responsibility of the Virginia Department of Social Services, the judicial system, caseworkers, or the foster parents who are providing quality short-term care. The solutions to this challenge require a multifaceted approach.
Private employers should create adoption-friendly workplaces. Civic groups should support public awareness campaigns that promote waiting children. And our citizens are encouraged to explore adopting a child from foster care and experience the joy that comes from making a remarkable difference in the life of a child.
Public-private collaborations at the state and local level also can help.
Private agencies - monitored and held accountable to the state for measurable results - are able to deliver an effective and creative range of services.
Innovative programs like Partnership for Adoptions at Children's Home Society of Virginia effectively get children adopted out of foster care.
This collaboration between VDSS and CHS provides training, counseling, and lifelong support to families who adopt from social services. This program has facilitated the adoption of 310 children from the public foster care system at a cost per child that is lower than other federally funded programs through VDSS.
Families are the source of hope and inspire success in the lives of young people. Strong families are the foundation of strong healthy communities.
When young people do not have the opportunity of being raised in permanent families, our entire community feels the impact.
Through a public response, as well as a variety of coordinated efforts that include public-private collaborations, Virginia will assure our children are better equipped for the future, resulting in better outcomes for our youth and for the commonwealth.