‘Foster crisis’: Why fewer NC families are signing up
At a recent national gathering of conservative think tanks, I listened to a panel discuss the crisis in foster care. One of the panelists said it was a hard topic to make a priority for conservative advocacy groups, since the answer may not be “less government.” But even the most limited government hardliners (which likely includes the author of this piece) tend to see funding law enforcement, courts, prisons, and child protective services (like foster care) as legitimate functions of government. And as such, they should be done well, not just grudgingly.
A few issues stood out in the discussion and appeared to be areas of agreement among the panelists:
The opioid and broader drug crisis has hit family stability hard. AEI’s Naomi Schaefer Riley said there was a 90%+ overlap between a child’s involvement in the foster system and substance abuse among the parents.
Panelists also said a culture of not reporting abuse until it is glaringly obvious has taken over. This trend began out of concern about putting those already struggling with poverty and inequalities into an even worse position.
Because of these trends, children are showing up to foster care with a lot more physical and mental trauma. The children are acting out behaviorally in dangerous ways more often and have much higher health care needs.
