Foster Children's Relatives Still Shorted by California

Recently in our blog "California Foster Children Costly for Relatives", we talked about the disparity in the amount that family members or "relatives placement" get paid for caring for a foster kid versus that of non-relatives or "foster placement." California just had a budget debate to determine what to do with a $4.7 billion windfall.

Many foster youth organizations submitted proposals including increasing the amount that relative placement are paid. Unfortunately, this proposal along with others was not taken up.

Once again, no proposals were submitted by county agencies to increase funding for efforts to locate foster children's relatives still living in Mexico despite research by the California Permanency for Youth Project that showed significant saving by placing foster kids in a home.

The report concluded that: 

"Over $200,000 a month could be saved if only 37 youth were placed, resulting in millions in annual savings. The calculations provide solid cost justification for permanency programs, aside from the immeasurable benefits that come from providing youth with homes.”

So for now, caring family members such as Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald, who took in two related foster youth, will have to continue to care for these kids with their $351 monthly allowance. Additionally, thousands of foster teens are at risk of aging out with no family support because a few hundred dollars were not invested to locate family members.

Maybe it's time California got a new accountant because somehow the numbers just don't add up, and foster children are left suffering.

Regards,


  Richard

Richard Villasana
Find Families In Mexico
760-690-3995

PS. Like and follow us on Facebook for more information about foster teens.