Supposedly ADCS (CPS) prioritizes placing children in the system with the family first, but I cannot tell you how many times I have seen family members advocate for custody of (a) child(ren) and be denied. This would save the state a TREMENDOUS amount of money, yet over and over again I see congregate care being used for placement. Do we need to take a closer look at the child welfare industrial complex here in Arizona? The growth in the number of Arizona children in out-of-home care and placed in congregate care is contrary to most states’ experience. For example, according to national data, only two other western states, Montana and Nevada, experienced growth in both of their out-of-home and congregate care populations. Additionally, national data indicate that the average percentage of children placed in congregate care for all 50 states, as a percentage of total out-of-home care, decreased slightly, from 13.8 percent in federal fiscal year 2010 to 13.4 percent in federal fiscal year 2012. However, the percentage of Arizona children in congregate care grew from 12.5 percent to 14.2 percent during this same time period. Finally, not only is congregate care expensive, costing the Department from $40 to $327 per day depending on the placement type, but it may adversely affect the children because it delays permanency and may pose threats to a child’s safety and well-being.For example, studies indicate that children who were cared for in congregate care settings were more likely to be arrested, continue problematic behaviors, and have lower levels of education and more substance abuse problems than children cared for in foster homes.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 15:59:13 +0000
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