Decision makers at the federal, state, and local levels control the distribution of power and resources that affect the problem. At the federal level, Congress enacts legislation; then, the Department of Health and Human Services make recommendations about implementation. There are many decision makers between the federal level and the street level where youth actually receive services. States are responsible for requesting funding and choosing to enact Foster Connection Act 2008 Provisions. States determine their individual policies in their legislatures. They can allocate funding to providing services and support to youth aging out of the system and determine the age at which youth no longer are eligible for services. Additionally, they may determine under what set of circumstances youth may remain or re-enter the system. Though some states have a statewide child welfare system, many of the states actually implement programs at a county level. This results in another set of decision makers who create …show more content…
The outcome shows that there has been an increase by 3% in homelessness along with negative results in the area of substance abuse and criminal involvement. However, there has been a positive increase for youth in the areas of education, employment, physical health and mental health. At age 17, the majority of these youth were attending school, had positive connections to at least one adult, and were receiving Medicaid. Half of them did not report any history of high-risk outcomes and the majority reported never having been homeless. At age 19, many of these positive indicators were maintained with the majority having earned a high school diploma or GED, reporting a positive connection to an adult, receiving Medicaid or some other type of health insurance, and demonstrating early signs of financial
Homelessness is a social issue that has been overlooked for too long. It can be observed in many states worldwide. The rising population of homeless people affects those characterized as homeless, their families subjected to the lifestyle, and the communities where homelessness exists. There are many solutions but only a few will be discussed. Improving existing shelters and building new shelters are general solutions. More in depth solutions within the shelters include programs that assist the homeless with opportunities for re-entry into the community. I would first like to discuss reasons why this issue should be looked into and conclude with recommendations.
Furthermore, facilities frequently concentrate on “quick-fix” interventions instead of focusing on their qualities that empower them and concentrating on long-term aspirations (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). For the most part, it is extremely hard to access health care for the youth population because they face various restrictions. It is not surprising that many homeless adolescents do not have a way of seeking services even if they are the population that needs it the most. Homeless youth are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes such as not being able to further their education, getting incarcerated, developing a mental health disorder, and engaging in alcohol dependency and unsafe sexual behavior (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). Children without a home are more prone to live in inconsistent and harsh living conditions categorized by family and school issues. Although; many homeless youths do not experience desirable outcomes housing programs and similar services serve a primary support system to help reduce homelessness. Services that promise better living conditions are shown to enhance lifestyles and a positive development into adulthood.
In order to keep the court from being involved, the parent would have to agree to voluntary placement of the children with a relative (child welfare information gateway, 2016). These situations occur when child welfare finds signs of neglect or abuse that’s not severe enough for the state to take custody or the parent needs to receive some sort of treatment (imafoster.com, 2014). The children often remain in the care of the relative until the parents complete their treatment plans and satisfies the court so that the children can be returned to them. If the parent fails to complete their treatment plans, the kinship caregiver has the option to take permanent managing conservatorship of the children. The caregiver is given the option to take foster care classes in order to receive financial compensation for the children in their care. The state typically provides some form of financial compensation when the children are initially placed and CPS assists with clothing and gifts for the children while they are under their care. Legal and medical decisions regarding the children are left to the caregiver with oversight from the placing
Copyright (c) 2005 Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law, 2005, 12 Va. J. Soc. Pol'y & L. 371, 13986 words, SYMPOSIUM: THE STATE CONSTRUCTION OF FAMILIES: FOSTER CARE, TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS, AND ADOPTION: FROM ANTICIPATION TO EVIDENCE: RESEARCH ON THE ADOPTION
In the United States there are approximately 397,000 children in out-of home care, within the last year there was about 640,000 children which spent at least some time in out-of-home care. More than 58,000 children living in foster care have had their biological parental rights permanently terminated (Children’s Rights, 2014). Due to the rising number of children in foster care and the growing concerns of the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 was signed into law. On November 19, 1997, President Bill Clinton signed the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, to improve the safety of children, to promote adoption and other permanent homes for children who need them, and to support families (Child Welfare League of America). The Adoption and Safe Families Act also promotes adoption by offering incentive payments for States. During the FY of 1999-2003 the payment to states which had exceeded the average number of adoptions received $20 million (Child Welfare League of America). The ASFA improved the existing federal child welfare law to require that the child’s health and safety be a “paramount” concern in any efforts made by the state to preserve or reunify the child’s family, and to provide new assurances that children in foster care are safe (Shuman, 2004).
Many children across the country are wrongfully removed from their homes everyday by workers with an anti-family mindset, who use removal as a first resort not a last. It is not only detrimental to the child’s well-being, but is also immorally abusive to the child. The goal of the child welfare system is to promte safety, permanency, and wellness among all children.
Garrett Therolf said “Children in foster homes overseen by private agencies are one-third more likely to be physically, mentally, or sexually abused than children in homes overseen by the state” (qtd. in White). The debate on whether or not to privatize the foster care system is ongoing and is an excellent source for debate. While privatizing the foster care system does seem to have its advantages, such as the convenience, they are heavily outweighed by the many negative aspects of a privatized system. Privatizing the foster care system is an overall negative idea due to the fact that it turns desperate children into business pawns putting them at higher risk for many kinds of abuse. Privatization increases abuse and neglect among helpless
The youth homelessness population is increasing because of the many challenges that these children or teens face in everyday life; It also continues getting larger every year because of the many youth who are getting into dangerous situations that force them to be homeless or thru their own choosing. One third of the homeless population is between the ages of 16-24, which is incredibly young and it is the prime years for an adolescent or young adu...
Over half a million people are homeless in the United States. A quarter of these homeless people are under the age of eighteen, or also known as children. 50 percent of the homeless that are over eighteen years, are fifty and older with health and injury prone problems. One in five homeless people suffers from untreated severe mental illness, and half of these people self medicate themselves. Eight percent of the homeless population are veterans, and forty-five percent of that number is blacks or Hispanics. Most people think that being homeless means begging for money on the streets with a sign, or sleeping on the sidewalk with your dog or cat and maybe even a bag to store some things in; but what does “being homeless” actually mean? Homelessness in the United States and is a bigger problem than most people think.
Homelessness….. Many assume those who are homeless took part in some type of drug or alcohol abuse which lead them to become homeless. It is an ongoing situation that has not been fully resolved in order to lower the risk of individuals of the youth population becoming homeless. The age group for homeless individuals who qualify as youth is nineteen years of age and under. In the United States, dysfunctional families are occurring more frequent, which is a vital reason adolescents are running away from their homes. This alone puts many of our youth at risk of becoming homeless. When adolescents leave their homes, it decreases their chances of having a smooth transition into adulthood. Some adolescents may leave their home because
Based off the attention from modern media, youth homelessness has been on an unfortunate upslope in the United States within the past decade. Various factors tie into why this issue is becoming more prominent such as low income households being unable to afford children, LGBT youth rejection, and domestic abuse leading to children leaving home. Now, vagrancy has a severely negative impact on the development of young people as it inhibits them from developing academically, socially, and mentally and can also expose them to diseases and potentially various types of abuse, such as sexual and substance abuse. This is an issue that should be addressed, for the rising generations are America’s future, and so investing in the overall well-being of the
With nearly 3.18 million people in the United States, there are 610.042 individuals who are homeless which calculates to about nearly one in five individuals (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014 and HUD/US, 2013). At any time situations can change that can render an individual’s homeless. There are no qualities that exempt individuals from the chances of becoming homeless. However, there are certain predispositions and characteristics that can predict the likelihood of becoming homeless. Homelessness can be contributed to a number of situations such as occupational stress, financial stress, mental health issues, substance use, gender, age, race, disabilities, incarceration, chronic illness, and family stress.
Downs-Whitelaw, S., Moore, E., &McFadden, E. J. (2009). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice, USA: Parson Education Inc.
Put in use. Using this type of practice demands that parents involved in the CPS service plan remain cooperative and complete treatment in time. Failure to comply can results in the parents losing all their state or county services, put the children at risk of being removed from the home and put into foster care, or worse, the parent completely losing their rights. Cooperation is the key to getting the help needed to avoid court and the loss of their children. The ultimate goal is a healthy family unit and a safe child. (Dawson & Berry,
Downs, S., Moore, E., McFadden, E., & Costin, L. (2004). Child welfare and family services: Policies and practice. (7th. Ed., pp. 319-363) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.