The War On Fosters

Why do so many fosters aging out of care struggling in school, becoming homeless, addicted, have criminal records and unable to hold down a job?

This article will shine a light on why this is happening. This recent Star Tribune report (Counties spending benefits intended for foster children) by Jesie Van Berkel, the Casey Foundation, and compiled articles and studies (in the read more below) provide much of the information in this article. Jessie reports that Federal funds meant for children are used by Counties to cover their own costs of State Ward Children. In MN, 60 counties reported using over 90% of these funds making them unavailable to children aging out of care who badly need them. It’s a terrible national policy that shows little chance of change with tightening budgets in most states these next few years.

For decades, 80% of fosters aging out of care have gone on to lead dysfunctional lives. In MN today, Jessie Van Berkel reports that only about half of all MN fosters have found stable housing or a job by the time they are 21. Blaming children that have no voice in their lives and suffering childhood traumas so severe a judge has placed them in out of home care to keep them safe (the doctrine of preventing “Imminent Harm”) is wrong on many levels.

The War On Fosters title of this piece comes from this CASA Guardian ad Litem’s decades of observing crappy, sometimes cruel public policy towards our society’s most vulnerable citizens.

Firstly, this article is very relevant today because of the larger battle being fought over all abused and neglected children and an ill advised public policy that is currently compounding the problems facing fosters and foster families and will impact at risk children for years to come.

Expecting children that have been traumatized by extended exposure to violence and deprivation (World Health Organization’s definition of torture) to normalize, do well in school, and just get along with authority figures and their peers, is not a reasonable ask of most State Ward children. The glaring absence of adequate mental health, healing, and skill building resources for these children and youth almost guarantees they will struggle with what other children find easy. Most abused and neglected children are deprived of the parent interaction that breeds social, verbal, and behavior skills required to thrive in school or with peers and authority. Ready for school is a concept that smooths the way for a child to sit attentively in class and concentrate on what’s being said.

Traumatized children are plagued with anxiety and fear that doesn’t just evaporate when placed out of the home. In fact, we know that the system itself and becoming a State Ward adds to trauma.

Biologically, (brain function) as well as habit leave most high ACEs children on high alert and focused on their personal safety. Many of them have violent or other disruptive behaviors that make having them in the classroom a problem as well as keeping them from sitting attentively and learning.

In a recent Minneapolis schools 3rd grade reading level test, 10% of Black Hennepin County 3rd graders were able to do math at grade level and not much better for reading. Not all of these children were fosters, but it is a compelling argument that we are failing great numbers of our youngest citizens and that too many of them are children of color.

These are public policies in the U.S. foster care system are causing significant harm to foster children.

Here are some of the worst policies:

Discriminatory Adoption and Foster Care Laws

Thirteen states have passed religious exemption laws that allow adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ children and potential parents 1

27 states allow parents to withhold affordable, safe healthcare from children for religious reasons. Sometimes leading to child death. Child death is becoming more common at the hands parents while in Child Protective Services because of the push of religious and parental organizations keeping CPS from removing children from toxic homes.

These laws: Permit agencies to make decisions based on religious beliefs rather than children’s best interests

Allow agencies to refuse qualified prospective families while still receiving government funding

Deny LGBTQ+ children affirming, supportive care and families

Charging children and juveniles as adults: Creates a pipeline from child abuse in the home to the criminal justice system where recidivism in U.S. prisons at 9 years has remained at 80% for the last 20 years. “The difference between that poor child and a felon, is about eight years”, & “90% of the youth in juvenile justice have come through CPS” (Words of MN’s former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz).

Charging Parents for Foster Care

Many states charge parents when their children are placed in foster care 4

This policy: Pushes low-income families into further financial instability, Significantly delays or prevents family reunification, Has disproportionately negative effects on Black families, Is cost-ineffective, with a ratio of about 3 to 1

Insufficient Support for Aging Out Youth: The system fails to adequately prepare and support youth transitioning out of foster care 3, 9

Approximately 18,000 youth age out of foster care each year without being adopted. Add to this the 80% of 7.8 million children reported to CPS that received little or no care from the system and the number of invisible children experiencing violence and abuse in the home that no one saw or reported.

20% of youth aging out experience immediate homelessness, These youth face higher risks of incarceration, trafficking, and unemployment

Overreliance on Institutionalization, Some states, like West Virginia, tend to institutionalize children with mental health issues rather than finding more appropriate settings 7

West Virginia places children in group homes and institutions at a rate 44% higher than the national average

This practice separates children from their families and communities.

Punishing Poverty as Neglect: The child welfare system often conflates poverty with neglect 10

In some states, the majority of children are removed due to circumstances related to poverty, not physical harm or abuse – This disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous families

Once removed, Black children face worse outcomes, including longer stays in foster care and higher rates of homelessness and incarceration after aging out

Insufficient Resources and Staffing – Almost all CPS (Child Protection Systems suffer from unacceptably high case loads and a severe lack of resources 6

Not enough foster homes, problematic group homes unable to meet minimal State Standard, leading to overcrowding and inappropriate placements

Shortage of qualified caseworkers, resulting in high caseloads and burnout (Utah and several other states demand caseworkers care over 100 families (up to 250 children) – try and keep those children safe).

Insufficient service providers for therapy, education, and other support services

The continued use of punishment, expulsion, incarceration, and force on traumatized high ACEs children instead of the healing, skill building and mental health help that would end the cycle of child abuse in our nation today.

These policies collectively contribute to a system that often fails to protect and support the very children it’s meant to help, causing long-lasting trauma and perpetuating cycles of generational cild abuse, poverty and inequality.

KARA compiles child abuse and neglect stories from every state (find your state below)

WHEN YOU Share KARA’s reporting with FRIENDS, INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK and most of all, your State Representative (find them here) change will come a little bit faster. When enough of us become informed and speak up for abused and neglected children, we will improve their lives and our communities!

Please support KARA’s work with a small monthly donation:

All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children (Don Shelby)

Crisis in TN foster care highlighted in new study – MSN

MSN

“The data clearly shows that with the right interventions, we can significantly improve outcomes for youth transitioning out of foster care.” The …

The War On Fosters

Author: Mike Tikkanen

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