Kids at Risk Action (KARA) is a non-profit action tank supporting people, policies, and programs
that improve the lives of at-risk children. We are passionate and unapologetic advocates for the welfare of abused
and neglected kids in Minnesota, the United States, and the world.
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For decades foster families have found most states unwilling to cover the costs of caring for the poor kids placed in care because of abuse and neglect.
In about half the States, kennelling/dog boarding pays more dollars than fostering a child. Dogs don’t need diapers or the near constant attention a troubled youth from Child Protective services does.
People food is also more expensive than dog food. Dogs don’t need shoes or shirts or money for “things” that children need and do.
Kinship care subsidies in some states are $10/day.
What’s it like to be a grandparent caring for a very troubled teenage grandchild living on social security?
For decades 80% of foster children aging out of State care lead dysfunctional lives, 20% become instantly homeless and about 50% of them dropout of high school. Very few graduate from college.
Fostered children have done nothing wrong to be where they are.
The painful and frightening path to becoming a foster child sticks with a person forever. It is the things that have been done to them that are wrong and it is why they need care and love from the community.
This child needs and deserves a higher level of care.
In years of research and writing on this topic KARA has not found examples of states with an abundance of qualified foster families.
The most common truth is that all states suffer from a shortage of foster homes and some go to great lengths to simply keep these poor tykes safe from more physical and mental violence. Too often we do not succeed even in this.
We talk big about how valuing children but by many measures, this is simply not true for many of our nation’s youngest citizens.
Supporting foster children and the families that care for them should be a priority in every community.
Learn more;
A note on child daycare
Michele Norris Star Tribune article on MN child care is just the tip of this iceberg.
in many states, single Parents pay over 50% of their income for infant center care and married parents with 2 children pay over 100% of their household income for center based care (or they would if they could make it work). Minnesotans pay over 15 thousand dollars for infant care (when public college tuition is 11 thousand dollars.
Daycare in many states is unregulated, creating plenty of nightmare horror stories about impaired and troubled providers causing harm to infants and toddlers. Drunk uncle/boyfriend daycare is an awful thing the media…
regularly reports on; rapes, beatings and abandonment of 2 and 3 year olds by troubled or meth impaired people traumatizing, neglecting and killing very young children in their care.
#kinshipcare,#fostercarerates#childabuse#kara#kidsatrisk
This article contributed by former CASA guardian ad litem and KARA founder Mike Tikkanen
