Foster funding needs federal attention
By Bruce Lesley
It’s encouraging that Denver is taking action on child abuse and neglect (Herald, April 8). But Washington also has work to do. Federal foster-care funding’s shrinking pool covers fewer than half of foster children today, and fewer by 2024. States tap other social-services funding, but that just shifts resources from one set of kids and families to another. Worse yet, federal funding short-changes prevention efforts that help parents manage mental health, substance abuse, financial distress and other abuse and neglect risk factors. Reform legislation in Congress would ensure that federal funds cover every foster child, but it would time-limit funding, creating incentives to find kids permanent homes and families.
Savings would be reinvested in prevention. Urge your congressional representatives to support this reform. If Colorado wants better outcomes for kids, Colorado lawmakers must reform federal child abuse and neglect funding...
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