Study: Parents need more services to regain custody of children

Study: Parents need more services to regain custody of children
Youth advocates say family support teams, more funding would help foster care cases
County Notes | Daniel Valentine

Prince George's County parents whose children are in the foster-care system face significant barriers to getting drug treatment and other help, a recent study found.

In a Jan. 21 review by the Advocates for Children and Youth group based in Silver Spring, officials said the parents of children placed in foster care only get the necessary services to get their children back about half the time.

The report is based on a review the nonprofit organization did of 19 cases early last year where children were removed from their parents' care. While 10 of the children were eventually placed back with their parent, nine others remain in foster care.

While some parents were evaluated for mental health issues, substance abuse or other matters, most did not receive necessary counseling, according to the report. Often, parents themselves were responsible for missing appointments or refusing treatment, the study noted, but county Department of Social Services officials were too behind or underfunded to provide other options.

The study calls for more action by the county Department of Social Services to hold "family support teams" to coordinate treatment and for more funding by the state to prevent children from being placed in foster care.

"The Governor needs to provide the Prince George's Department of Social Services with sufficient funding for services to parents seeking to keep or regain custody of their children," wrote ACY spokesman Matthew Joseph. "The Department and courts need to be sure that the services are truly necessary and cannot be provided while the child remains at home."

About 600 children are in foster care in Prince George's County, ranking second in the state and making up about 7 percent of Maryland's overall foster population. For information on the ACY study, visit www.acy.org.

Zoning proposal seeks to speed up transit development

Prince George's County Council members plan to hold public hearings March 9 on zoning changes that would allow developers to build mixes of homes, shops and offices in mini-villages near designated transit stops.

The bills for "corridor node" developments failed to pass late last year and are the first items being considered as the council starts its legislative year.

Under County Bills 5, 6 and 7, developers who agree to abide by specific rules near transit stops would get expedited reviews from the county planning board and District Council for approval to move on their projects.

The intent is to give developers early promises of support and guarantees that rules for development will not change as they move forward with the often expensive and highly prized mixed-use projects, said Councilman Samuel L. Dean (D-Dist. 6) of Mitchellville, the chief sponsor.

"If you don't change, you maintain the same crap you always do," Dean said at a council discussion of the bills at a county retreat last month. "The problem I always hear is that people aren't sure we're going to change the rules next week."

Council members are still debating the bills, which would also require developers to employ certain percentages of county residents at stores and meet architectural standards.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/02182010/bowinew121759_32553.php