NCJ Number
181947
Journal
California Voter Volume: 86 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 1999 Pages: 11-17
Editor(s)
Joanne Leavitt,
Patricia S. Kuhi
Date Published
1999
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Many issues are involved in reducing child abuse and neglect, many of which are associated with the responsibility of the State to care for foster children and to prepare them for independence when they reach adulthood.
Abstract
In a study of California's Dependency System, the Little Hoover Commission (LHC) has determined: 1) Policymakers should affirm the extraordinary obligation the state has to care for abused children; and 2) The Department of Social Services is responsible for child welfare, foster care, and adoption programs, even though many State and county agencies provide essential services to abused children. Further, the LHC indicates that the State does not focus enough resources on preventing child abuse in the first place, that the decision to keep children in the care of their parents or remove them should be determined by what is in the best interest of the child, and that the foster care caseload is growing because more children are entering the system, and they are staying longer in foster care. The LHC also notes that drug abuse is a significant factor in up to 80 percent of foster care cases, that children in foster care often do not receive the services needed to treat their trauma or meet their developmental needs, that the state needs to develop adequate support services for children leaving the foster care system, and that the State puts foster youth at risk by failing to help them transition successfully to self-sufficiency. The wrap-around process is described as an effective approach to serve the most needy children in foster care who have multiple issues to be addressed. Health care issues, home visiting, adoption mediation, and court reform are also examined in the context of child abuse and neglect.