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Some NY Children Pay High Price For Gap In Services, Representative Rangel Says
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
View Photos of this Event
September 30, 2002, New York, NY -- Inadequate substance abuse treatment and family support services for families in the child welfare system are costly barriers for far too many children in New York and around the country, according to U.S. Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY).
Rangel was joined today by community leaders and representatives of the Child Welfare League of America and Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Families Services at a Harlem press conference calling for passage of federal legislation to expand alcohol and drug treatment and kinship care support services to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the child.
"There is a dangerous gap in support services for families in the child welfare system-and far too often it is the children who pay the price," Rangel said. "Offering substance abuse treatment for a parent, or support services for a family member caring for a child, is often the best investment we can make to ensure the safety and long-term security of a child in the child welfare system."
Sharron, a 38-year old mother of three, was one of the lucky ones. Due to a substance abuse problem, Sharron permanently lost custody of her two children. When her third child was born the baby tested positive for cocaine, and Sharron once again faced the prospect of losing a child. Determined not to let that happen, Sharron was able to receive substance abuse treatment and vocational training. She is now a college student, has custody of her youngest child, visitation rights for her two older children, and is employed with Harlem Dowling-West Side Center as a Parent Peer Advocate working with other parents to help them navigate the child welfare system to expedite parent/child reunification.
Unfortunately, for too many parents such success is out of reach. Just over two-thirds of parents involved in the child welfare system need substance abuse treatment, but child welfare agencies can provide such services for less than a third of them. Children whose families do not get appropriate treatment are more likely to remain in foster care longer and to reenter care once returned home. Currently, state child welfare agencies do not have appropriate screening and assessment tools. Even when substance abuse is identified, waiting lists for treatment programs can be years long.
To provide these needed supports for vulnerable families and children, Rangel introduced the Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act (H.R. 1909) to provide substance abuse treatment for families in the child welfare system. He also cosponsored the Act To Leave No Child Behind (H.R. 1990), which would offer first time federal assistance to relatives who become legal guardians of children currently in foster care and additional support to relatives now caring for children. Unfortunately, Congress has not taken action on these measures this year.
Substance Abuse Treatment:
The Child Protection/Alcohol and Drug Partnership Act would provide $1.9 billion over five years to state child welfare and substance abuse agencies that agree to take steps together to develop and increase treatment services, establish appropriate screening and assessment tools, or improve strategies to engage and retain parents in treatment and provide aftercare support. The activities must be directed to families with substance abuse problems who come to the attention of the child welfare system.
"The popular refrain 'every child counts' evidently does not apply to the most vulnerable children in this nation," said Liz Meitner, Vice President, Government Affairs of the Child Welfare League of America. "Congress is currently holding up legislation that would provide much needed federal assistance to already stretched thin state child welfare agencies. These agencies provide essential services to give children in difficult situations a chance to succeed."
"Families that come to the attention of the child welfare system lack the financial resources to access services available to economically advantaged families. They must rely on the state to help them," said Melba Butler, Executive Director, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center and host of today's event.
Kinship Care Support Services:
Many children who cannot safely live with their parents have family members ready and willing to care for them. Of the 40,000 children in New York State who are living in foster care, 21 percent live with relatives. Known as kinship care, the job of these caregivers is especially difficult because they frequently do not receive the necessary financial assistance and supportive services necessary to adequately care for the child. Without supports such as day care, respite care, support groups, physical and mental health services, educational services and legal assistance, some relatives, while willing to act as parents for these children, are unable to do so.
The Act To Leave No Child Behind (H.R. 1990) provides new supports for relatives caring for these children. Relatives acting as foster parents provide stability in a child's life. This bill provides those relatives with needed supportive services such as child care, counseling, and respite care. The bill also recognizes that some relatives provide permanent homes for their relative's children through legal kinship guardianship arrangements. This bill provides first time federal financial supports to help those families. Title VIII of the Act To Leave No Child Behind recognizes the importance and value of kinship guardianship, establishes on-going monthly support for the guardian, and provides services as needed for the child and relative guardian.
Harlem-Dowling is the oldest agency in the country to serve children of color since 1836 and is a member agency of the Child Welfare League of America, the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization, which is committed to engaging people everywhere in "Making Children a National Priority.
Media Note: To schedule an interview with representatives from the Child Welfare League of America, Harlem Dowling-West Side Center for Children and Family Services, or families with experience in the child welfare system, please contact Tracy Zimmerman at 202-518-8047 or tracy@publicinterestpr.com.
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