posted on June 3, 2002 08:09:38 PM new
After doing a thorough search prompted by the disappearance of one particular child, the Florida DCF(Department of Children and Families) cannot account for over 1000 children in foster care. This is a sad, deplorable, inexcusable situation that will be getting more attention in each state in the coming months.
posted on June 4, 2002 07:11:18 AM newThis is a sad, deplorable, inexcusable situation
Don't think you'll find anyone who disagrees with that.
While I can certainly understand the workers probably have way too many cases to be handled well, I was especially upset that the one caseworker had lied and filed reports that she was checking on that girl each month. She hadn't checked on her for 15 months. That case worker should be charged with child neglect and fired.
posted on June 4, 2002 07:33:39 AM new
Do you know - I think that paying a set fee a month for people to care for these children is no different than selling them. The only thing is the value is going the wrong way. The state is saying they are a liability - how much will it take for you to take them off our hands.
Anyone could tell you they are precious and lots of childless couples would pay big bucks to have them - but that somehow taints the transaction?
Hello? Someone is going to pay thousnads of dollars to have child of their own name and then not treat them better than what we hear about these foster families?
We give the kids to people with no resources who make a business out of caring for them when people with huge wealth would be happy to pay fees to accept them into much better conditions. Am I missing something here? Does this make any sense? We are not talking about selling them into slavery on a cotton farm - we are talking about people whop want children and would be happy to relieve the burden of the state but that is immoral because it is "selling children". The kids in foster care if they could see what they are missing would say "sell me - sell me." I wanna live there.
It is like we are saying that anyone who wants a child is suspect. We only will give them to people we have to pay to take them. That is screwy.
posted on June 4, 2002 07:42:43 AM new
gravid - I agree. Problem being if we didn't pay foster parents to care for these children...who would take care of them? The balance of adults wanting to adopt and the huge numbers of children needing a safe haven are not equal.
I believe a big part of the problem is the children [on the whole] are held in foster care system way too long. The rights of the parents seem to be more important than the well being of the child. While the birth parents are trying to get their act together, some of these children's lives are on hold for very long periods of time.
posted on June 4, 2002 10:10:00 AM new
The foster care system is a complete shables and a joke. In New York State it costs $50,000 dollars a year to keep a child in the foster care system(which includes social worker, paperwork and other costs). The number one reason a child is in the foster care system is that the mother makes under $20,000 a year and can not afford to care for her child. Most of the time the mother isn't bad, just poor. I say supplement her income to $20,000 and save the taxpayer the rest. But as it turns out, social work is just so profitable these days. Not for the ones in the trenches, but for the ones in charge.
One case we had here....
The foster child was killed by the babysitter. I had met the babysitter, she was a mentally handicapped individual who had been certified by the state in child care in one of those state funded "help the handicapped" programs. I wouldn't have had her sit my cat. But for the Foster mother, she was cheap. The foster mother had children of her own, but they were taken away from her because of neglect, yet the state of NY saw her as a viable foster mother. A the child paid with her life. Only the babysitter was convicted.
There are only 10 types of people in the world
Those who understand binary and those who don't
posted on June 4, 2002 10:58:24 AM new
"In New York State it costs $50,000 dollars a year to keep a child in the foster care system(which includes social worker, paperwork and other costs). "
Thanks for the interesting statistic!
Awhile ago here I was in a discussion with someone (who will remain nameless) who was moaning and groaning that the measly tax credits I get for adopted kids (oh, roughly $3,000/year/kid) were costing him money. I told them that they should personally thank me every morning when they wake up, for SAVING them money, for all the kids I've adopted.
Lets see...4 US kids times ($50K - $3K) = $188K per year I save taxpayers.
posted on June 4, 2002 11:36:19 AM new
CaptainKirk - While I don't do that each and every morning I do have an enormous amount of respect for you [and others like you] who open their homes and their hearts to these children who need a family. You're very special.
[ edited by Linda_K on Jun 4, 2002 11:38 AM ]
posted on June 4, 2002 05:15:01 PM new
the federal government ought to kep a datbase that shows most likely times and dates for abduction. See if there is a pattern we should be dealing with.
posted on June 15, 2002 06:54:59 AM new
It is now being reported that "16 children(in the DCF system) have died from abuse or neglect in Florida in 2001. At least 6 additional children have died this year". As I said earlier, the problem is widespread and hopefully this will be a wake up call to all states to accurately track all child welfare cases on a continuous basis.
I do have an enormous amount of respect for you [and others like you] who open their homes and their hearts to these children who need a family. You're very special.