Kochar McCabe | 1

Kiran Kochar McCabe

Ms. S. Fillman

CAP English 10

19 May 2017

The Pipeline to Marginalization: How the Foster Care System Fails

Introduction

It sucks! This is the prevailing sentiment expressed by children who have been in the

foster care system. The purpose of foster care is to give children a family-like support system in

place of their broken one, but what is actually being done is breaking them even more. This goes

against what foster care is legally defined as, which is a system enabling a child without

parental support and protection to be placed with a person or family to be cared for, usually by

local welfare services or by court order (Foster Care Law). The concept of foster care dates

back to references in the Bible, Torah, and Quran, which all reference the duty of caring for

orphan children and widows (History of Foster Care, Foster Care: Background).

These concepts of caring for dependent children evolved over the years and began to take

shape in New York in 1853 by a man named Charles Loring Brace. Brace was a minister and

founded the New York Childrens Aid Society and was worried about all the immigrant children

sleeping on New Yorks streets. He decided to advertise in the South and West for families

willing to provide free homes for these children, whether for charitable reasons or whatever help

these children could be to them. Some foster children were cared for by loving families, but

others were placed in situations similar to indentured servitude. The program stressed the

importance of giving abandoned and abused children the opportunity for a family life, and as

social agencies began to pay and supervise foster parents, other states began to establish what we
 Kochar McCabe | 2

now know as the current foster care system (History of Foster Care). Even though the

intentions of current foster care systems are noble, the underfunded foster care systems that

many state governments run are harmful to Americas children as they lead to higher rates of

teen pregnancy, unemployment, homelessness, and mental health issues.

The states that will be examined in this paper are Mississippi, Louisiana, New Jersey, and

New Hampshire. They have been ranked in a study conducted through WalletHub, which looked

at early foundations and economic well-being, childrens health and childrens education in the

50 U.S. states and D.C. to determine the best and worst states for underprivileged children in the

U.S. in 2016. Mississippi and Louisiana were ranked low, at 50th and 49th respectively, and

New Jersey and New Hampshire were ranked high, at second and first respectively (Bernardo).

Weak foster care systems are compared to stronger ones by examining this study.

Funding, or a Lack Thereof

One of the primary reasons as to why some foster care systems are so weak is because

states dont have enough money to provide the proper care for each child in the system. Foster

care is a state run program, and so it is the responsibility of the states to organize, staff, run, and

fund them. Each state has their own funding levels for foster care, which is usually accounted for

under another department. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, Mississippi has appropriated

approximately $18 billion for its total state budget. Out of that, they appropriated $300 million or

1.6% of the total state appropriations, for the Mississippi Department of Child Protection

Services under which foster care resides (State of Mississippi Budget). This amount is a

fraction of what is needed. In Louisiana, the recommended total state appropriations for FY 2017

is about $8 billion. Funds appropriated for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family

Services, where foster care is housed, totaled up to $601 million, only 7.3% of Louisianas
 Kochar McCabe | 3

appropriations, a relatively low percentage compared to the rest of the total funds appropriated

(Governors Executive Budget). Even in states with stronger foster care systems, like New

Jersey and New Hampshire, funding for foster care still only makes up a small percent of the

total state appropriations. New Jersey appropriated approximately $1.7 billion for the

Department of Children and Families, which represents 5% of New Jerseys total state

appropriations (The Governors FY 2017). For FY 2017, New Hampshire appropriated $47

million for Child-Family Services, which is about 9% of the states total appropriations

(Governors Operating Budget).

The amount of federal funding that states receive for foster care is often thought to be

small, but when looking at the percentage it makes up of the departments responsible for foster

care, its actually a significant amount. In Mississippi, federal funds make up 61% of funding

(State of Mississippi Budget). For Louisiana, 80% of the funding is made up of federal funds

(Governors Executive Budget). In New Jerseys appropriations, federal funds make up 32%

of funding (The Governors FY 2017). For New Hampshire, 47% of funding is made up of

federal funds (Governors Operating Budget). The great amount of federal funding that

supports foster care shows that states arent placing enough importance on the foster care system

since they are not allocating larger portions of state funding to these programs.

One of the groups greatly affected by having a relatively small amount of funding in

relation with other programs, are social workers. Social workers interact with children in the

foster care system, decide where to place a child and are the link between the state and the child.

Since the amount of funding for foster care is a small percentage of the total state appropriations,

not enough social workers are hired, leading to larger caseloads. With larger caseloads comes

more stress and pressure, eventually leading to the social worker becoming burnt out, and
 Kochar McCabe | 4

leaving the agency. This creates high rates of turnover among social workers, not allowing for

children to form a strong bond with their social worker. For example, Mississippi has a turnover

rate among entry level social work staff of 35.36%, while New Jersey has a social worker

turnover rate of 6.97%, in comparison with the 30% national social worker turnover rate

(Munson, Systems Review). By increasing the budget, more social workers can be hired,

leading to smaller caseloads, and stronger bonds to be formed between a child and their social

worker, ensuring that the best interest of the child is really being thought of.

The amount foster families get paid per month is another topic greatly affected by the

amount of funding foster care receives. In Mississippi, foster families receive approximately

$751 a month per child on average (Mississippi Foster Care). Foster families in Louisiana

receive, on average, approximately $484.25 a month per child (Louisiana Foster Care). In New

Jersey, foster families receive about $716 a month per child on average (Support for Families).

Foster families in New Hampshire receive approximately $542.85 a month per child on average

(Current Foster Care Daily Rates). While this may seem like a lot of money, it has been found

that on average, Families can expect to spend between $12,350 and nearly $14,000 a year to

raise a child (Vasel). This means that per month, families should average between $1029.17 and

$1166.67 a month per child, which is clearly more than foster families receive per month. This is

another reason why foster children arent given the same quality of life as most children outside

of the foster care system.

States clearly arent considering the funding of foster care as a priority, which must

change. If the system isnt given more funding, the quality of life these children receive will

continue to be subpar.

Teen Pregnancy
 Kochar McCabe | 5

There are many harmful effects of the foster care system on children, and teen pregnancy

is a significant one. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Young women in foster care are

more than twice as likely as their peers not in foster care to become pregnant by age 19

(Boonstra). Teen pregnancy has negative effects not only on the mother, but also on her child.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children born to

adolescentsare more likely to have poorer educational, behavioral, and health outcomes

throughout their lives (Negative Impacts of Teen Childbearing).

Teen pregnancy rates vary by state with higher rates in states that also have weaker foster

care systems. For example, Mississippi and Louisiana, which both have weaker foster care

systems, are ranked 49th and 47th respectively (first being the lowest and 50th being the highest)

in terms of their teen pregnancy rates. In comparison, New Jersey and New Hampshire, which

both have stronger foster care systems, are ranked 18th and first in terms of their teen pregnancy

rates (Teen Birth Rate Comparison). The high rates of teen pregnancy in the states of

Mississippi and Louisiana correlate to the other factors outlined in this paper that demonstrate

weak foster care systems.

Absent parents largely contribute to why pregnancy rates among teens in the foster care

system are higher than teen pregnancy rates for girls not in foster care. According to the

Guttmacher Institute:

researchers point to evidence showing that teenagers who feel highly connected to

theirparents are far more likely than others to use contraception and to delay sexual

activity, and are less likely to become pregnant. Youth in foster care often lack these

kinds of protective relationships. (Boonstra)

 Kochar McCabe | 6

This lack of protective relationships for foster children makes these teens feel empty, and so

they attempt to address that by starting their own family (Boonstra). If strong relationships arent

created between a teen and her foster parent(s) or with her social worker, teen pregnancy will

continue to be an issue among teens in foster care.

Lack of safe sex education is also a large contributor as to why teens in foster care have

higher pregnancy rates. The Guttmacher Institute has found that:

Many foster youth miss out on school-based sex educationbecause of frequent changes

in foster placements and lapses in school attendance. Alsofoster care adolescents may

not always have permission to participate in these classes because of the religious views

of their caseworkers or foster parents. (Boonstra)

Sex education is extremely important, as shown by a report by Advocates for Youth which found

that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to experience

pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education (Comprehensive Sex

Education). By looking at the sex education policies of Mississippi and Louisiana, we can see

that their high rates of teen pregnancy are not surprising. Mississippi mandates sex education, but

the curriculum must stress abstinence. Louisiana doesnt even mandate sex education, and if it is

voluntarily taught, it also must stress abstinence, which has been proven to contribute to higher

teen pregnancy rates. In contrast, New Jersey and New Hampshire, which have lower teen

pregnancy rates, take a different approach. New Jersey mandates sex education and requires the

curriculum to stress abstinence and cover contraception. New Hampshire doesnt mandate sex

education, and if it is taught voluntarily, there are no state-specific content requirements (State

Sex). If teens in foster care arent given access to comprehensive sex education, which includes
 Kochar McCabe | 7

instruction about birth control, saying no to sex, and information on STDs and HIV/AIDS, rates

of teen pregnancy will continue to rise among those in foster care.

States must work on establishing positive relationships between children in foster care

and their social workers or foster parents to incentivize them to have safe sex and need to ensure

that all children in the foster care system get the proper sex education needed to decrease their

risk of getting pregnant. Teens in the foster care system will continue to have higher pregnancy

rates if something is not done to address it.

Unemployment and Homelessness

Unemployment and homelessness are harsh realities for many who have been in foster

care since there are few government mechanisms to support foster children when they age out of

the system. Therefore, those in the foster care system arent prepared with how to take care of

themselves in the real world. Childrens Rights, an organization that works to improve foster

care systems, have found that almost 47% of children who grew up in foster care are

unemployed (Unemployment Rampant). Additionally, 40-50% of those in foster care become

homeless within 18 months of leaving the system (ONeale). This is due to the pipeline the foster

care system creates by not providing many services once children age out of the system.

States have varying rates of unemployment, with higher rates in states with weaker foster

care systems. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. has a total unemployment rate

of 4.4% (The Employment Situation). Mississippi has the 39th lowest unemployment rate, at

5%, while Louisiana is ranked 47th, at 5.7%. In contrast, New Jersey has the 22nd lowest

unemployment rate, at 4.2%, and New Hampshire is third, at 2.8% (Local Area

Unemployment). Mississippi and Louisianas weak foster care systems create pipelines that

lead to higher rates of adult unemployment. According to Green Doors, there are approximately
 Kochar McCabe | 8

643,067 people, or 0.2% of the population, who are homeless in the United States every night

(General Homelessness Facts). In Mississippi, there are about 1,738 people, or 0.06% of the

state population, homeless on any given night and in Louisiana there are about 3,994 people, or

0.09% of the state population, homeless on any given night (State Data and Contacts Map).

The high rates of unemployment and the homelessness that follows are outcomes of weak foster

care systems.

Unemployment and homelessness are directly linked with one another. Many foster teens

dont have the support systems in place to get a good job and a place to live once they age out of

the foster care system. Once they turn 18 or 21 (depending on the state), most will pack up their

belongings and leave. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, the top three

contributing factors for homelessness among unaccompanied youth are mental illness, substance

abuse, and lack of affordable housing (Aratani). The lack of affordable housing is due to

unemployment, because if theyre not working, they cant pay rent and support themselves

financially.

Solutions must be found to these issues of unemployment and homelessness. When aging

out of the system, Childrens Rights agrees that youth ought to have access to services like job

training and extended foster care benefits (Unemployment Rampant). Access to these services

will better equip them with resources to help them find a job, in turn lowering the unemployment

rate and decreasing their risk of homelessness.

Mental Health Repercussions

Mental health issues are present in children in foster care across the board. A study by the

National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning has shown

that approximately 80% of children in foster care have significant mental health issues
 Kochar McCabe | 9

including PTSD, depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and eating disorders (Polihronakis).

Additionally, across the U.S., one in five youthmeet criteria for a lifetime mental disorder

that is associated with severe role impairment and/or distress (Prevalence). These mental

health issues will remain with them for the majority of their life. A study by the Casey Family

Programs analyzed the disparities in mental health between those previously in foster care and

the general adult population. They found that 21.5% of those previously in foster care had PTSD,

while only 4.5% of the general adult population had it. 11.4% of those previously in foster care

had a panic disorder, while only 3.6% of the general adult population had one. 3.6% of those

previously in foster care were drug dependent, while only 0.5% of the general adult population

were (Mental Health). Those are only a few of the mental illnesses studied, which altogether

show that those previously in foster care are at a much greater risk of having some form of a

mental illness.

What states must do to address this issue is to work on ensuring quality and continuous

mental health services to those in need of them. It has been found that three of four children

who came to the attention of the child welfare systems because of a child abuse and neglect

investigation and who had clear clinical impairment had not received any mental health care

within 12 months after the investigation (Pecora et al.). This shows the need for these services,

especially since such a large percentage of children in foster care are faced with significant

mental health issues. These services must be provided, because mental health issues are causes

and effects of teen pregnancy, unemployment, and homelessness. If nothing is done, all of these

problems will continue to grow.

Necessity of the System

 Kochar McCabe | 10

The effects on Americas children of our underfunded foster care system are many

including high rates of teen pregnancy, unemployment, homelessness, and mental health

repercussions, and these are only on a few. On average, there are about 428,000 children in foster

care in the United States every day (Foster Care). If they werent in the system, they might be

in worse situations and be on a faster path towards marginalization. The foster care system is

extremely important, however it has many, many flaws. That is why we must pick up our phone

and call our state elected officials to persuade them to increase the budget for our foster care

systems. We must raise awareness about the challenges children in foster care are faced with

throughout and after their stay in the system and work towards a nation where they are not faced

with all of the challenges outlined above. We must level the playing field and give all children a

fighting chance to reach their potential and live a better life.

 Kochar McCabe | 11

Works Cited

Aratani, Yumiko. Homeless Children and Youth, Causes and Consequences. National Center

for Children in Poverty, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York,

September 2009, http://www.nccp.org

Bernardo, Richie. 2016s Best & Worst States for Underprivileged Children. WalletHub,

Evolution Finance, 11 August 2016, https://wallethub.com.

Boonstra, Heather. Teen Pregnancy Among Young Women In Foster Care: A Primer.

Guttmacher Institute, vol. 14, issue 2, Guttmacher Institute, 1 June 2011,

https://www.guttmacher.org.

Comprehensive Sex Education: Research and Results. Advocates for Youth, Advocates for

Youth, http://www.advocatesforyouth.org.

Current Foster Care Daily Rates. New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services,

State of New Hampshire, https://www.dhhs.nh.gov

The Employment Situation April 2017. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of

Labor, https://www.bls.gov.

Foster Care: Background and History. FindLaw, Thomson Reuters, http://family.findlaw.com.

Foster Care. Childrens Rights, Childrens Rights, http://www.childrensrights.org

Foster Care Law and Legal Definition. USLegal, US Legal, https://definitions.uslegal.com.

General Homelessness Facts. Green Doors, Green Doors, http://www.greendoors.org.

Governors Executive Budget Fiscal Year 2016-2017. State of Louisiana Division of

Administration, State of Louisiana Division of Administration, 13 February 2016,

http://www.doa.la.gov

The Governors FY 2017 Detailed Budget. State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury
 Kochar McCabe | 12

Office of Management and Budget, State of New Jersey, 16 February 2016,

http://www.nj.gov

Governors Operating Budget for Fiscal Years ending June 30, 2016-2017. Department of

Administrative Services, State of New Hampshire, 12 February 2015, https://das.nh.gov

History of Foster Care in the United States. National Foster Parent Association, National

Foster Parent Association, http://nfpaonline.org.

Langham, R. What Are the Causes of Teenage Pregnancy? LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group,

http://www.livestrong.com.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,

https://www.bls.gov.

Louisiana Foster Care Rates. May 2009, https://www.google.com.

Mental Health and Foster Care. National Conference of State Legislatures, National

Conference of State Legislatures, http://www.ncsl.org.

Mississippi Foster Care Rates. August 2009, https://www.google.com.

Munson, S. NJ DCF Workforce Report: A commitment to child welfare excellence through

comprehensive workforce & leadership development. NJ: Rutgers School of Social

Work, 2016, http://www.nj.gov

Negative Impacts of Teen Childbearing. Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of

Health & Human Services, https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/.

ONeale, Shalita. Foster Care and Homelessness. Foster Focus, vol. 5, issue 3, Foster Focus,

http://www.fosterfocusmag.com

Pecora, Peter J. et al. Mental Health Services for Children Placed in Foster Care: An Overview

of Current Challenges. Child welfare 88.1 (2009): 526. Print.

 Kochar McCabe | 13

Polihronakis, Tina. Mental Health Care Issues of Children and Youth in Foster Care. April

2008, http://www.hunter.cuny.edu.

Prevalence. youth.gov, http://youth.gov.

State Data and Contacts Map. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness,

https://www.usich.gov.

State of Mississippi Budget Bulletin Fiscal Year 2017. Mississippi Legislative Budget Office,

Mississippi Legislative Budget Office, 15 June 2016, http://www.lbo.ms.gov.

State Sex and HIV Education Policy. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Family

Foundation, 1 March 2017, http://kff.org

Support for Families. State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families, State of New

Jersey, http://www.nj.gov.

Systems Review of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, Division of Family and

Childrens Services Final Report. NPR, Child Welfare League of America, 31 March

2006, http://www.npr.org

Teen Birth Rate Comparison, 2015. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned

Pregnancy, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy,

https://thenationalcampaign.org.

Unemployment Rampant Among Former Foster Youth. Childrens Rights, Childrens Rights,

http://www.childrensrights.org.

Vasel, Kathryn. It costs $233,610 to raise a child. CNNMoney, Cable News Network, 9

January

2017, http://money.cnn.com