In my morning email was a sad plea for help from a grandmother with granddaughters taken from her home where they were in school and well cared for.
These two young girls are now living with non family, in another state, not attending school, and living in less than ideal conditions.
The children have demonstrated hunger when grandma visits. Grandma’s state social service agency simply told her that she had no legal authority to care for the children and sent the girls to another state (like MN once did with its homeless people).
If the county allowed grandma to keep the children until mom returns (if possible), there would be continuity, education, and the building blocks of healthy child development for these two girls.
The disruption in this case is total. In my experience as a guardian ad-Litem, these types of decisions are motivated by lack of funding at a state and county level. The county saves money by moving the children away.
In the end, it costs the other state more money both in foster care and the long term costs to society of youth failing in society. A recent study determined that 80% of youth aging out of foster care were leading dysfunctional lives. Many of my guardian ad-Litem cases showed this to be true.
America’s only national policy for children is the “Imminent Harm Doctrine”.
If you have read this blog or the national news this summer you know that this policy did not save hundreds of very young children from death this summer.
This grandmother has an uphill battle finding help for her grandchildren to insure that they are enrolled and attending school, being fed, and that they are not being abused or neglected.
This is one more example of the great need for KARA’s grassroots effort to raise awareness to the needs of America’s at risk children.
Until that happens, children, schools, families and communities, will contintue to suffer.
It is a bigger step to convince people that healthy children become healthy citizens, but it is true. Help For Grandparents
- Support at risk children! Become a CASA volunteer or start a KARA group in your community.
- Have something to add? Attach a comment to this blog post or Contact Us to tell us your point of view or story.
- If you think someone might appreciate this information, click the ShareThis button below
- Buy our book or listen to it (for free)
- Join the public debate for children (they have no senator, lobby, or voice)
