How Effective Is Texas Foster Care Privatization?

Society understands our current system is awful, but no one is protesting for a reform, or they’re aren’t trying hard enough. Child safety is the number one objective of the system, but it’s not working like it should. “In 2015, over 670,000 children spent time in U.S. foster care” (Foster Care). Of those 670,000 cases, more than half could be eliminated with a reform in the system. The focus should be on keeping families together, rather than taking them apart.

After years of contemplation and assignment of these preparations to abolish child abuse, the foster care system exposed an onslaught of problems resulted regardless of their best efforts. The foster care system systematically evolves their roles and rules in accordance with the constant changing rules and regulations. However,

The foster care system in Texas is broken and policies like SB-4 and HB-3859 continue to fracture the system even more. The high volume of children entering into the system and the substantial number of caseloads for social workers are exacerbated by the current policies. It is our job as policymakers and policy analysts to address this issue so that ALL the children of the Lone Star state have a better future. Throughout this memo, I will highlight the current condition of the foster care

As of September, 2011 in the United States over 400,540 children were in the foster care system. The Minnesota Department of Human Services, 2011) defines foster care as, ?A 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the State agency has placement and care responsibility.? Of the 400,540 children in foster care nationwide, 195,400 were Floridians. With the fifty social service programs nationwide, Florida is one of a very few states in the nation with statewide privatization of social services, for this study, with an emphasis on privatization of foster care. In the present paper, the privatization of foster care plays a significant role in the care and placement of Florida?s abused, neglected, and abandoned children. The major thrust of privatization of foster care was implemented under the administration of Governor Jeb Bush, a staunch political conservative. The purpose of privatization was to provide better foster care services to stake-holders, primarily to find permanent homes for foster children. The Bush administration was always trying to adhere to the conservative mantra of fiscal reduction as it pertained to social services

Over 600,000 children in the United States are in the foster care system. Reasons include, abuse, neglect and abandonment. These children lack nurturing environments and stable homes. Children within the foster care system have more mental, physical and developmental problems. It is imperative to understand the challenges children entering the foster care system are exposed to. The system works best when children are provided nurturing, and short-term care until they can be placed back home safely or a permanent adoptive family. For many children, however, the stay is longer, with 30% remaining in temporary care for over two years. Staying in the system is detrimental to the child’s well-being. The foster care system is an unsuccessful intervention for children that cultivates development, health and mental issues.

The Texas foster care system is administered by the state’s Department of Family and Protective Services (“DFPS”), a division of the Health and Human Services Commission (“HHSC”). Within DFPS, the division of Child

“Number in foster care on September 30, 2015, of the Fy was...427,910” (“The AFCARS report”). The federal government spends $4.4 billion each year on the Foster care system for all youths so, as the youth's population in foster care is increasing. It is affecting the budget of a federal government so, that's why foster care became the social issue. The children in foster care were about equally split between Male (52%) and Female (48%). Most of the foster children that were in care September 2015 lived with nonrelative foster families (45%), followed by relative foster home (30%). The remaining children were placed in an institution (8%), a group home (6%), or a pre-adoptive home (4%). Some were on a trial home visit with their parents (5%). One percent were the runaway, and 1% were in supervised independent living. “Time in care (Months)...1-5 months...22%...95,999” (“The AFCARS report”). The more long children live in foster care, and the more federal government has to spend on foster care so — this can cause money to go over the budget of HHS and affect US economy. If parents or anyone else didn’t stop abusing the children, the day will come when all parents are in jail, and all children are in foster

Interviews: These interviews will consist of at the CEOs and presidents of foster care agencies, whose responsibility it is to govern the operations of the lead private non-profit agencies within the State of Florida. The interviews with these CEOs will be administered individually face-to-face. The questions posed will range from the relationship that privatization has with the public agencies to their perspectives on how privatization has fulfilled the needs of the children in foster care and

On any given day there are 428,000 children in the foster care system (“Foster Care.”). Every single child in the foster care system is in the state’s custody and should be protected by the states. Yet, this year in Kansas, the two foster care services providers has admitted to not knowing where some of the children are. Of the seven thousand children in Kansas foster care (The Kansas City editorial staff) KVC Kansas, which is in charge of the eastern region of the state, has owned up to not knowing the whereabouts of thirty-eight children (The Kansas City editorial staff). While the service in charge of the western portion of the state, Saint Francis Community Services, also does not know the whereabouts of thirty-six children. In total that is seventy foster children who are missing (The Kansas City editorial staff). No one knows if the children ran away, if they were abducted or if they are still alive. With children being the United States future, some would think that they would be held in high regard, but with so many uncared for children in foster care they are not. The American Foster Care System is a broken system because of the children’s mental and physical health, how the children leave the system and how this system is controlled.

The foster care system has been stretched too thin as the turn of the 21st century rolled around. Higher entrance into the system with new policies and lower staff has given way to a new problem-the highly abusive environment that surrounds the whole system. The mistreatment of the children and their foster families within in the system is now a prevalent issue in the Child Welfare Organization. The long-term effects of the abusive foster care system comes from the mismanagement of the system such as the instability within placement, lack of rights to foster families, ignoring culture heritage and misused policies that create detrimental health for the children in later years. The harsh foster care system under the control of the government in the U.S. can be changed with the addition of reorganization to the agency via more staff and communication and stability through more permanent placements for the children as well as the families. First I will define what I mean by abuse and address the current problems that the foster care system is facing such as instability and mismanagement. Then I will explain what the possible negative long-term effects of entrance into the foster care system. Finally I will discuss what steps could be taken to change this situation such as the creation of stable housing and uniform programs for the foster care system.

There are over 428,000 children in the foster system(“Children rights”). Every day 1,200 kids enter the foster system in the United States(“Together”) and theses children come with multiple issues when they enter the foster care system. Children enter the foster care system for several reasons but mostly it is due to neglect or abuse from the parents. As a former foster child I have been one of the kids that have suffered for what there parents have done. I have suffered from depression . Children that have gone through the foster care system have a higher risk of having mental health issues such as depression and anxiety as well as long term physical issues. Ultimately , these issues pose challenges that affect every aspect of the child's life.

Children being placed in the foster care system usually come from unhealthy or unsafe situations, some might be mourning the death of a parent; therefore, whatever the circumstance is it is crucial the child’s wellbeing be put first. In many situations the child is put into another low income or highly abusive home, or often times the system is not temporary for the child. Each foster kid should be closely monitored by the state, the child’s wellbeing is crucial to the development of their future. We should do thorough investigations on the homes, before and while the child is under their care. If a child ever feels unsafe in their foster home, there should be an immediate investigation of the home.

To address the emotional and physical needs faced by children in foster care and their caretakers, the Amarillo Angels organization seeks to provide gifts and hope for foster families through its services.1 Hundreds of thousands of children are in foster care across the United States, and the average child in the foster care system spends over a year in foster care.2 The state of Texas faces a foster care crisis in which not enough family placements are available to meet the needs of an abundance of children in foster care.3 Locally, agencies in Amarillo must often send foster children needing placements to other counties or states.4 While foster parents receive some financial reimbursement to provide for the children placed in their

Nagle, J. F., & American Bar, A. (2000). How to review a federal contract: Understanding and

State rail engaged various contractors over the projects life to review this, report on risks an example of the contract review from commercial and technical aspects.