Policies Affecting Children and Their Families

1
Policies Affecting Children and Their Families
2
Government Responsibility?

• Traditional presumption that families are
  responsible for children
• Reluctance to have government take over
• Usually only when parents incapable or source of
  danger to child
• Current policies reflect ambivalence about
  government promotion of child well being
• See Kids Count data for well-being report

3
20th Century History of Government Policy

• Progressive Era child labor movement opposed
  by low income parents industry
• 1921 Sheppard-Towner (health for moms and kids)
  repealed as federal interference
• Depression ADC Maternal and Child Health
• 1960s WIC, Head Start, funds for handicapped kids
  in schools

4
1970s

• Discovery of abuse and neglect
• 1974 prevention treatment efforts of states
  supported by feds (mandatory reporting)
• 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act
• 1980 Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act
  PL 96-272

5
Tensions in CPS

• Child safety and family preservation
• Concerns with foster care and foster care drift
• Older and special needs adoptions issues
• Foster parents allowances substantially higher
  than TANF
• Child welfare, mental health, youth services?

6
Other Govt Programs to Promote Child Well-Being

• TANF
• Head Start
• WIC
• Public Health/Child Health Insurance
• Public Education
• Mental Health
• Youth corrections

7
PL 96-272

• See analysis p. 135 Segal Brzuzy
• Decrease of children in foster care
• Prevent unnecessary removal from homes
• Encourage permanency planning and adoption

8
1999 Urban Institute Analysis of Child Welfare
System

• Demands on child welfare system have increased
  dramatically in last 30 years
• Political and media criticism of family
  preservation leading to more removal
• Concerns about foster care and parents lack of
  progress leading to earlier termination of rights

9

• Parents have enough time to reform? Enough
  adoption resources?
• Collaboration with substance abuse and family
  resource centers for tough problems
• Performance assessment of system research and
  community monitoring
• Move toward block grants and greater state
  flexibility?

10

• Need for better understanding of the relationship
  between poverty/family assistance and child
  welfare issues