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CBX – Children’s Bureau Express

Newly released data show the number of children in foster care nationally has increased for the third year in a row.

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data released by the Children’s Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF), show a continued increase in the numbers of children in foster care. After declining more than 20 percent between fiscal years (FY) 2006 and 2012 to a low of 397,000, the number of children in foster care increased to 428,000 in FY 2015. This represents a 3.4-percent increase from FY 2014, when States reported 414,000 children in foster care.

Nearly three quarters (71 percent) of States reported an increase in the numbers of children entering foster care from 2014 to 2015. The five States with the largest increases were Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Arizona, and Minnesota; these five States were also among the States with the largest increases between 2013 and 2014.

Although there is variation in how States report factors that contribute to foster care cases, it appears that parental substance use may have contributed to the growth in the child welfare population. From 2012 to 2015, the percentage of removals where parental substance use was cited as a contributing factor increased 13 percent (from 28.5 percent in 2012 to 32.2 percent in 2015)—the largest percentage increase compared to any other circumstance around removal. Though ACF’s efforts to improve State reporting have likely contributed to the overall rise in cases, the greater prevalence of parental substance use among cases may also explain some of this increase. In addition, neglect as a circumstance around removal also increased from 56.4 percent to 60.7 percent over the same time period.

“The national number of children in foster care is still far below where it was 10 years ago, but any increase is cause for concern, and we’ve now seen increases for the past 3 years,” said Mark Greenberg, HHS Acting Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.

Officials at the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) interviewed child welfare directors in States experiencing the highest increase in foster care numbers, and State officials informed ACYF what the data suggest: a rise in parental substance use is likely a major factor driving up the number of children in foster homes. Citing opioid and methamphetamine use as the most debilitating and prevalent substances used, some State officials expressed concern that the problem of substance use is straining their child welfare agencies.

State child welfare directors also emphasized that recent trends in substance abuse are sometimes affecting entire families and neighborhoods, making a child’s placement with relatives an unviable option. Increased collaboration across service providers and community leaders will be necessary to address this rising challenge.

“The increases we are seeing in the foster care population, and the rise of parental substance use as a contributing factor, is not limited to one or two States—this is a concern across the country,” said Rafael López, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. “Investing in prevention, treatment, and innovative approaches is critical to keeping children safe and families together and strong. We can, and must, do better.”

One such approach is the Children’s Bureau’s regional partnership grants program, which specifically focuses on improving the safety, permanency, and well-being of children who have been removed from the home as a result of parent or caregiver substance use. The President’s FY 2017 budget request includes an expansion of the regional partnership grants from $20 million to $60 million annually to improve the well-being of children and families affected by substance abuse. Families who participated in previous regional partnership grants projects experienced enhanced outcomes, including successful recovery, increased number of children remaining at home, increased reunification rates, decreased recidivism, and dramatic differences in the rate of children who returned to out-of-home care as compared to families who did not participate in the regional partnership grants projects.

Because too many Americans with substance use disorders do not get the treatment and care they need, the President’s FY 2017 budget request calls for $1.1 billion in new funding to help make sure everyone who seeks treatment can get it.

“ACYF and SAMHSA’s partnership through the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare is focused on helping the child welfare and behavioral health systems work together to create coordinated, multisystem approaches to care that can prevent the need for children to enter the foster care system,” said HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) Principal Deputy Kana Enomoto. “With an emphasis on recovery for pregnant and parenting women and their families, we’re supporting the development of policies and guidelines to address the full spectrum of intervention opportunities—from prepregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum treatment, and continuing throughout a child’s development.”

The FY 2015 AFCARS report, including a table showing reasons for removal from home, is available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/afcars-report-23. Trends since 2006 in foster care and children adopted with child welfare agency involvement are available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/trends-in-foster-care-and-adoption-fy15.

By Sascha Cordner – News.WFSU.org

Florida’s Guardian ad Litem Executive Director Alan Abramowitz says his agency received a $250,000 grant to do what is called “I am for the Child” campaign.

“It’s for the purposes of educating our community about the need for volunteers and go through training and become advocates for abused children,” he said

The National CASA Association awarded his agency the State Growth Grant, and Abramowitz says the money will help with different efforts to steer potential volunteers to their website: guardianadlitem.org.

“We have been working with the National CASA Association,” he added. “CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and it’s a national organization we’re a member of and the goal is every abused, neglected and abandoned children in the country has an advocate, has a voice in court. So, if they’re removed from their parents, there’s someone speaking on behalf of the child.”

Abramowitz says the need for volunteers is especially important as the number of kids in Florida’s foster care system keeps growing.

Written by Elizabeth Damski

Children’s Week is excited to announce the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program is a proud partner of the 2017 Hanging of the Hands activity during Children’s Week! The annual Hanging of the Hands is a magical activity taking place Sunday, March 26 from Noon to 4 p.m. in the State Capitol Rotunda. Tens of thousands of brightly colored children’s hand artwork is collected from child care centers and schools across the state and put on display in the State Capitol Rotunda for the entire week (March 26 to 31) as a reminder to legislators, policy makers and advocates that we must take care of Florida’s children.

Through our amazing collaboration with Early Learning Coalitions and GAL volunteers, this year’s Hanging of the Hands promises to be one of our biggest displays of hand art ever created!  Child care centers, teachers, schools and volunteers are encouraged to work with children to design hand art with messages to policy makers and ensure their voices are heard during legislative session.  Please view the Hanging of the Hands Flier for more details on how to get involved in this amazing and impactful activity. We encourage you to join us in person at the State Capitol Rotunda, or mail your children’s hand artwork to the Early Learning Coalition of the Big Bend Region by Friday, March 10th, 2017.

You can learn more about how you can get involved in this year’s Children’s Week local and statewide activities by joining our toll-free monthly statewide conference call. Our next call is scheduled for Wednesday, October 5th at 10 a.m. and you may use the following information to connect: Phone Number: 1-763-957-6400 I.D.: 2107624#. Please click here to see the latest statewide conference call agenda.

#GiveUsAHand

Don’t forget! The #GiveUsAHand social media campaign runs from January 23 to March 24. Now everyone can get involved and share your children’s hand art via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Use #GiveUsAHand, and remind our policy makers how important Florida’s children are. To learn more view the Give us a Hand flier or visit our website.  Thank you so much for everything you do on behalf of our children.

[Tallahassee, Florida] – Eric Clark, Chief Executive Officer of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Foundation, announced today that Coach Mike Martin, Head Baseball Coach at Florida State University, and his wife Carol Martin have been named as Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation Spokespersons.

The Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation is pleased to announce that Mike Martin, Head Baseball Coach at Florida State University and his wife Carol, have agreed to be the spokespersons for the Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation. They will serve as ambassadors in helping to increase the scope and presence of the Florida GAL Foundation.

“As parents of three children and grandparents of four grandchildren, we know how crucial it is for children to be part of a loving, nurturing and supportive environment. Yet, in Florida, over 31,000 children are in foster care because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. These children have in many instances suffered tremendous emotional and physical trauma. That’s why we support the Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation and the wonderful work it is doing for these children every day”, stated Coach Martin.

Coach Martin’s tenure at Florida State is marked with many honors and feats. He is the second all-time winning-est coach in NCAA Division I college baseball history, and second in all-time winning percentage. Martin, simply known by his uniform number ‘11’ to Seminole faithful throughout the world, was a 2007 inductee into the American Baseball Coaches Association National Hall of Fame and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

He has lead the Seminoles to 37 straight postseason appearances. Martin’s Seminoles have won six Atlantic Coast Conference championships and have appeared in 15 College World Series. Dedicated in 2005, Florida State’s baseball team plays on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium.

In January of 2015, the Martin Family, longtime supporters of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital’s Children’s Center and newborn intensive care unit, were honored as the children’s playroom at TMH was named the “Mike Martin Family Playroom.”

“We are honored and inspired by Coach and Mrs. Martin’s decision to be ambassadors for the GAL Foundation. The Martin’s heartfelt dedication to the needs of Florida’s abused and neglected children will help so many,” said Eric Clark, CEO of the GAL Foundation. “To have a voice like Coach Martin and his wife Carol speaking on behalf of the GAL Foundation is a huge win for the most vulnerable children in Florida.” The Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation’s mission is to provide additional resources for the Guardian ad Litem Program, its volunteers, and its affiliated circuit non-profit organizations in order to promote Guardian ad Litem representation for abused, abandoned and neglected children in Florida’s dependency system.

To learn more about the Guardian ad Litem Program or to become a volunteer Guardian ad Litem visit www.GuardianadLitem.org or call 1-866-341-1GAL. To learn more about the Guardian ad Litem Foundation and how you can support the Guardian ad Litem Foundation’s mission, visit www.FLGAL.org.