02/16/2010
Woman Pleads Guilty In Social Worker Murder
MetroNews
Huntington, Cabell County
A Cabell County woman pleads guilty to kidnapping and murder in the death of a Lincoln County social worker.
Rosemary Forney was set to go on trial Tuesday, but instead accepted a plea agreement.
She was immediately sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison with mercy. As part of the deal, she'll be eligible for parole in 30 years.
Forney and Steven Foster, Jr. were charged in the June 2008 death of Brenda Yeager. The social worker was paying the couple's young child a visit at their home when she disappeared.
According to investigators, Yeager was held at gunpoint, sexually assaulted and then suffocated.
Steven Foster, Sr. has been charged with helping to conceal Yeager's body. The victim was found in a burned out car not far from the alleged crime scene.
Foster, Jr. is set to go on trial next week, February 23rd, in Cabell County.
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=35278
Isabella Brooke Knightly and Austin Gamez-Knightly
In Memory of my Loving Husband, William F. Knightly Jr. Murdered by ILLEGAL Palliative Care at a Nashua, NH Hospital
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
DCF case worker charged with sexual assault
DCF case worker charged with sexual assault
By John Pirro, Staff Writer
Published: 10:45 p.m., Sunday, February 14, 2010
NEW FAIRFIELD -- State police arrested a 48-year-old case worker for the state Department of Children and Families on Saturday after one of his clients accused him of sexually assaulting her at his home last week.
Mark Swan, of Deer Lane, is being held on $501,000 bond at the Troop A barracks in Southbury and is expected to appear in state Superior Court in Danbury on Tuesday.
Police began their investigation after the 19-year-old alleged victim went to the resident trooper's office in New Fairfield on Saturday and reported that Swan had assaulted her on Wednesday.
Swan had been the woman's case worker since she was 16, and an investigation "supported the victim's claim" that an assault occurred, police said.
Authorities took Swan into custody shortly before midnight Saturday, when a trooper stopped a vehicle that was observed being driven erratically on Route 39 near Bogus Hill Road and found him behind the wheel.
Swan was charged with second-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint, sale of narcotics, reckless endangerment and harassment, in addition to reckless driving and drunken driving stemming from the traffic stop, police said.
Department of Children and Families spokesman Gary Kleeblatt said Sunday that Swan will be placed on administrative leave pending a departmental investigation and could face disciplinary action "up to and including termination."
Investigators gave no indication whether the sex between Swan and the victim was consensual or part of a continuing relationship, but under state law, a person can be charged with second-degree sexual assault when the victim is under the age of 18 and the accused is either a guardian or is responsible for their general supervision or welfare, or the victim is in custody of the law and the accused has supervisory or disciplinary authority over her.
Kleeblatt confirmed that the victim was "a current client" of Swan's, but said other information about Swan's employment history with the agency wasn't available on Sunday.
A state police spokesman said Sunday that since state offices are closed Monday for Presidents Day, no further information on the case would be released prior to Swan's scheduled appearance in court.
Police said the case remains under investigation by the resident state trooper, the State Police Western District Major Crime Squad and the Department of Children and Families.
Contact John Pirro
at jpirro@newstimes.com
or at 203 731-3342.
http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/DCF-case-worker-charged-with-sexual-assault-364951.php
By John Pirro, Staff Writer
Published: 10:45 p.m., Sunday, February 14, 2010
NEW FAIRFIELD -- State police arrested a 48-year-old case worker for the state Department of Children and Families on Saturday after one of his clients accused him of sexually assaulting her at his home last week.
Mark Swan, of Deer Lane, is being held on $501,000 bond at the Troop A barracks in Southbury and is expected to appear in state Superior Court in Danbury on Tuesday.
Police began their investigation after the 19-year-old alleged victim went to the resident trooper's office in New Fairfield on Saturday and reported that Swan had assaulted her on Wednesday.
Swan had been the woman's case worker since she was 16, and an investigation "supported the victim's claim" that an assault occurred, police said.
Authorities took Swan into custody shortly before midnight Saturday, when a trooper stopped a vehicle that was observed being driven erratically on Route 39 near Bogus Hill Road and found him behind the wheel.
Swan was charged with second-degree sexual assault, unlawful restraint, sale of narcotics, reckless endangerment and harassment, in addition to reckless driving and drunken driving stemming from the traffic stop, police said.
Department of Children and Families spokesman Gary Kleeblatt said Sunday that Swan will be placed on administrative leave pending a departmental investigation and could face disciplinary action "up to and including termination."
Investigators gave no indication whether the sex between Swan and the victim was consensual or part of a continuing relationship, but under state law, a person can be charged with second-degree sexual assault when the victim is under the age of 18 and the accused is either a guardian or is responsible for their general supervision or welfare, or the victim is in custody of the law and the accused has supervisory or disciplinary authority over her.
Kleeblatt confirmed that the victim was "a current client" of Swan's, but said other information about Swan's employment history with the agency wasn't available on Sunday.
A state police spokesman said Sunday that since state offices are closed Monday for Presidents Day, no further information on the case would be released prior to Swan's scheduled appearance in court.
Police said the case remains under investigation by the resident state trooper, the State Police Western District Major Crime Squad and the Department of Children and Families.
Contact John Pirro
at jpirro@newstimes.com
or at 203 731-3342.
http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/DCF-case-worker-charged-with-sexual-assault-364951.php
Planned Parenthood Report Blasted as Disturbing
Education|Wed, Feb. 10 2010 10:30 AM EDT
Planned Parenthood Report Blasted as Disturbing
By Nathan Black|Christian Post Reporter
Text G-bookmarksLiveTechnoratiConservatives say a new report released by International Planned Parenthood Federation on comprehensive sex education is inappropriate and oversexualizes ten-year-olds.
Abstinence Targeted in Teen Pregnancy Report
Study: Abstinence Education Reduces Sexual Activity
"This report isn't about doing what is right for young people and certainly not about offering them the very best options in life. It is about advancing an ideological agenda that is hostile to traditional families, religious faith and the good of children," commented Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, in a statement Tuesday.
The report, "Stand and Deliver," claims young people – defined as 10- to 24-year-olds – today do not have access to enough information and health services when it comes to sex and sexuality. Their "unmet needs and their desires" and the lack of access pose risks to their health and well-being, the report indicates.
"Young people’s limited access to education, employment, money and information (about sex, gender roles and relationships, for example), and the lack of opportunities they have to make decisions about their own lives and access sexual and reproductive health services, makes them vulnerable to poor sexual and reproductive health," the report states.
IPPF pushes its case by pointing out that only 17 percent of sexually active young people use contraceptives and they account for half of all new HIV infections. Complications related to pregnancy and childbirth are the number one killer of adolescent girls in developing countries, the abortion provider adds.
"Young people have the right to be fully informed about sexuality and to have access to contraceptives and other services," Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is cited in the report as stating.
The report criticizes religious institutions, especially fundamentalist groups, for imposing "tremendous barriers that prevent young people ... from obtaining information and services related to sex and reproduction."
"Currently, many religious teachings deny the pleasurable and positive aspects of sex and limited guidelines for sexual education often focus on abstinence before marriage," it states. "The reality is, young people are sexual beings and many of them are religious as well. There is a need for pragmatism, to address life as it is and not as it might be in an ideal world.
"Each religion or faith must find a way of explaining and providing guidance on issues of sex and sexual relationships among young people, which supports rather than denies their experiences and needs."
Dr. Gill Greer, director-general of IPPF, argues, "Greater investment in primary and secondary education for girls, comprehensive sexuality education for boys and girls, both in and out of school, which can break down gender stereotypes, and provision of youth-friendly services that ignore taboos and stigma around intimacy and sex will empower girls and young women."
Conservative groups have found the report disturbing, especially for advocating the "empowerment" of kids as young as 10 to "develop satisfying and pleasurable sexual lives."
"'Stand and Deliver' dangerously oversexualizes children as young as ten. Not only are the recommendations developmentally inappropriate, but they advocate behaviors in ten-year-olds that can lead to such disturbing problems as pedophilia and statutory rape," Monahan charged. "Why can't Planned Parenthood let kids be kids?"
Teresa Tomeo, co-author of All Things Girl: Modern and Modest, believes the Planned Parenthood report encourages sexual promiscuity.
"Despite the fact that sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies, and teen abortions, are on the rise, Planned Parenthood thinks pushing sexual promiscuity to kids as young as 10 is a good idea," she said in a statement Tuesday.
"It's difficult enough for families to fight the constant flow of messages from the mass media that attack a chaste lifestyle; a healthy lifestyle that will protect kids from physical, psychological, and spiritual damage and now this," she added.
Expressing similar sentiments, Monahan believes Planned Parenthood is trying to "undermine parental and religious influence by advocating for a 'human right' to unlimited contraception and mandating so-called comprehensive sex ed for children."
Young people's most basic needs are to love and be loved, Monahan pointed out. Yet Planned Parenthood reduces them to "a one-dimensional caricature of pre-teen sexuality."
"If we are really trying to empower young girls," Monahan said, "let's teach them the truth that getting sexually involved without a lifelong commitment doesn't fill their desire for intimacy but only exploits it. Moreover, it leads to such problems as a greater risk for depression, substance abuse, STDs, and pregnancy, among others."
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100210/planned-parenthood-report-blasted-as-disturbing/index.html
Planned Parenthood Report Blasted as Disturbing
By Nathan Black|Christian Post Reporter
Text G-bookmarksLiveTechnoratiConservatives say a new report released by International Planned Parenthood Federation on comprehensive sex education is inappropriate and oversexualizes ten-year-olds.
Abstinence Targeted in Teen Pregnancy Report
Study: Abstinence Education Reduces Sexual Activity
"This report isn't about doing what is right for young people and certainly not about offering them the very best options in life. It is about advancing an ideological agenda that is hostile to traditional families, religious faith and the good of children," commented Jeanne Monahan, director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council, in a statement Tuesday.
The report, "Stand and Deliver," claims young people – defined as 10- to 24-year-olds – today do not have access to enough information and health services when it comes to sex and sexuality. Their "unmet needs and their desires" and the lack of access pose risks to their health and well-being, the report indicates.
"Young people’s limited access to education, employment, money and information (about sex, gender roles and relationships, for example), and the lack of opportunities they have to make decisions about their own lives and access sexual and reproductive health services, makes them vulnerable to poor sexual and reproductive health," the report states.
IPPF pushes its case by pointing out that only 17 percent of sexually active young people use contraceptives and they account for half of all new HIV infections. Complications related to pregnancy and childbirth are the number one killer of adolescent girls in developing countries, the abortion provider adds.
"Young people have the right to be fully informed about sexuality and to have access to contraceptives and other services," Bert Koenders, Minister for Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is cited in the report as stating.
The report criticizes religious institutions, especially fundamentalist groups, for imposing "tremendous barriers that prevent young people ... from obtaining information and services related to sex and reproduction."
"Currently, many religious teachings deny the pleasurable and positive aspects of sex and limited guidelines for sexual education often focus on abstinence before marriage," it states. "The reality is, young people are sexual beings and many of them are religious as well. There is a need for pragmatism, to address life as it is and not as it might be in an ideal world.
"Each religion or faith must find a way of explaining and providing guidance on issues of sex and sexual relationships among young people, which supports rather than denies their experiences and needs."
Dr. Gill Greer, director-general of IPPF, argues, "Greater investment in primary and secondary education for girls, comprehensive sexuality education for boys and girls, both in and out of school, which can break down gender stereotypes, and provision of youth-friendly services that ignore taboos and stigma around intimacy and sex will empower girls and young women."
Conservative groups have found the report disturbing, especially for advocating the "empowerment" of kids as young as 10 to "develop satisfying and pleasurable sexual lives."
"'Stand and Deliver' dangerously oversexualizes children as young as ten. Not only are the recommendations developmentally inappropriate, but they advocate behaviors in ten-year-olds that can lead to such disturbing problems as pedophilia and statutory rape," Monahan charged. "Why can't Planned Parenthood let kids be kids?"
Teresa Tomeo, co-author of All Things Girl: Modern and Modest, believes the Planned Parenthood report encourages sexual promiscuity.
"Despite the fact that sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies, and teen abortions, are on the rise, Planned Parenthood thinks pushing sexual promiscuity to kids as young as 10 is a good idea," she said in a statement Tuesday.
"It's difficult enough for families to fight the constant flow of messages from the mass media that attack a chaste lifestyle; a healthy lifestyle that will protect kids from physical, psychological, and spiritual damage and now this," she added.
Expressing similar sentiments, Monahan believes Planned Parenthood is trying to "undermine parental and religious influence by advocating for a 'human right' to unlimited contraception and mandating so-called comprehensive sex ed for children."
Young people's most basic needs are to love and be loved, Monahan pointed out. Yet Planned Parenthood reduces them to "a one-dimensional caricature of pre-teen sexuality."
"If we are really trying to empower young girls," Monahan said, "let's teach them the truth that getting sexually involved without a lifelong commitment doesn't fill their desire for intimacy but only exploits it. Moreover, it leads to such problems as a greater risk for depression, substance abuse, STDs, and pregnancy, among others."
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20100210/planned-parenthood-report-blasted-as-disturbing/index.html
Other Conditions That Can Mimic ADHD
Other Conditions That Can Mimic ADHD
If your child has recently experienced a traumatic event and shows symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity, this could be situational behavior related to the event. This could indicate emotional problems that need to be addressed through individual and family therapy. Children with unidentified learning disabilities (LDs) may be frustrated in school and act out as a defense against feeling he or she can't keep up with peers. If there are alcohol or drug problems in the home, the child may act in a way that seems to indicate ADHD; however, they are simply reacting to an unhealthy environment. This is also the case if the child is in an abusive home (physical or emotional abuse can lead to this coping behavior). Anxiety and depression often express themselves differently in teens. They may appear disruptive, hostile, or agitated, which could lead to an incorrect diagnosis of ADHD.
Other factors that can cause symptoms that might seem like those of ADHD are mild or moderate seizures or inner ear infection. A child with asthma or allergies may have difficulty with breathing, which could undermine the ability to concentrate. Diabetes and hypoglycemia can also cause a child to appear distracted, so these should be ruled out as well. Vision or hearing problems can cause a child to have trouble paying attention. Caffeine can overstimulate a child.
Learning disabilities, ear infections, depression or anxiety can all be factors that could interfere with a child's ability to focus. These should be ruled out before arriving at a diagnosis of ADHD. Remember that at certain ages it is perfectly normal for children to be very active and even impulsive. Preschool children and even teens go through phases where their behavior might seem excessively hyperactive or disorganized. A diagnosis of ADHD in your child should only be made by a mental health professional that specializes in treating children and teens, and should be based on a persistent pattern of problematic behavior over time.
In summary, there are a number of other issues that might appear to indicate ADHD:
Learning Disabilities
Petit mal seizures
Middle ear infection
Anxiety and/or depression
If you suspect your child has a mood disorder, visit Adolescent Mood Disorders for more information.
If you suspect your child's problem is caused by alcohol or drug use, visit Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base
http://www.4-adhd.com/other-conditions.html
If your child has recently experienced a traumatic event and shows symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity, this could be situational behavior related to the event. This could indicate emotional problems that need to be addressed through individual and family therapy. Children with unidentified learning disabilities (LDs) may be frustrated in school and act out as a defense against feeling he or she can't keep up with peers. If there are alcohol or drug problems in the home, the child may act in a way that seems to indicate ADHD; however, they are simply reacting to an unhealthy environment. This is also the case if the child is in an abusive home (physical or emotional abuse can lead to this coping behavior). Anxiety and depression often express themselves differently in teens. They may appear disruptive, hostile, or agitated, which could lead to an incorrect diagnosis of ADHD.
Other factors that can cause symptoms that might seem like those of ADHD are mild or moderate seizures or inner ear infection. A child with asthma or allergies may have difficulty with breathing, which could undermine the ability to concentrate. Diabetes and hypoglycemia can also cause a child to appear distracted, so these should be ruled out as well. Vision or hearing problems can cause a child to have trouble paying attention. Caffeine can overstimulate a child.
Learning disabilities, ear infections, depression or anxiety can all be factors that could interfere with a child's ability to focus. These should be ruled out before arriving at a diagnosis of ADHD. Remember that at certain ages it is perfectly normal for children to be very active and even impulsive. Preschool children and even teens go through phases where their behavior might seem excessively hyperactive or disorganized. A diagnosis of ADHD in your child should only be made by a mental health professional that specializes in treating children and teens, and should be based on a persistent pattern of problematic behavior over time.
In summary, there are a number of other issues that might appear to indicate ADHD:
Learning Disabilities
Petit mal seizures
Middle ear infection
Anxiety and/or depression
If you suspect your child has a mood disorder, visit Adolescent Mood Disorders for more information.
If you suspect your child's problem is caused by alcohol or drug use, visit Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base
http://www.4-adhd.com/other-conditions.html
Family Ties: New Report Finds Children in Long-Term Foster Care Can Find Safety, Permanence and Security with Grandparents and Other Caregivers
Fostering Results Releases New National Report on Subsidizing Guardianship
Family Ties: New Report Finds Children in Long-Term Foster Care Can Find Safety, Permanence and Security with Grandparents and Other Caregivers
National study finds that states with federally subsidized guardianship programs "move children out of long-term foster care into safe, permanent homes."
Washington, DC - According to a new report released today by the national, nonpartisan Fostering Results, children adrift in foster care can find safety, permanence and security with grandparents and other caregivers as an alternative to remaining in foster care. The report, titled "Family Ties," uses recently released 2002 federal data to estimate that 19,250 children in long term relative foster care in the U.S. are in "permanency limbo"* where a court has determined that they cannot be safely returned to their parents nor is adoption an option.
Federal foster care funding can be used to support children in foster care or in adoptive homes, but so-called Title IV-E foster care funding cannot be used to support legal guardianship. Yet, the report found that when states were allowed to use "waivers" of federal foster care financing rules, and when they made use of other flexible funding dollars like TANF to offer federally subsidized guardianship, 9,636 foster children left foster care after one year for permanent homes with legal guardians including grandparents and other caregivers between 2000 and 2001.
"The study illustrates the benefits of having the option of federally subsidized guardianship, for children, families and the foster care system as a whole" states Mark Testa, lead author of the report, Co-Director of Fostering Results and Director of the Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Among these benefits are:
Transfer of Legal Guardianship Benefits Children and Families
"When children are in the safe and stable care of relatives, prolonging their stay in foster care diverts resources away from other children in need to unnecessary court hearings, caseworker visits, and administrative approvals," says Testa. "The better choice for children and families is to turn safe and stable kinship foster placements into legally permanent homes through either subsidized adoption or subsidized guardianship."
Without legal guardianship, performing even the simplest of tasks can become a bureaucratic ordeal, requiring prior approval by caseworkers or judges and the completion of multiple layers of paperwork. "Even if courts and caseworkers determine that a child is safe and secure in the care of relatives, without legal guardianship, simple tasks like school pictures, routine medical immunizations and out-of-state trips can become a nightmare of paperwork."
Subsidized Guardianship Complements Subsidized Adoption
"The federal government's support for adoption has helped thousands of kids in foster care find permanent, safe, stable homes," said Joe Kroll, Executive Director of the North American Council on Adoptable Children. "But when adoption isn't an option, it's just as important to support grandparents and other kin caregivers who want to become permanent guardians."
For some families, adopting their relative's child is the best path to providing the child with a secure and permanent home. For other relative caregivers, adoption may not be desirable. For example, a grandmother may be willing to assume legal responsibility for a grandchild but may not want to terminate the parental rights of her daughter who is unable to care for the child. For these children, subsidized guardianship offers an alternative route to permanence.
Federally Subsidized Guardianship Helps Children Find Permanence
In a cost-neutral approach some states have received waivers to spend federal funds on subsidized guardianship as an alternative to subsidized foster care. In Illinois, the largest demonstration state in the nation, 2,033 children moved from state custody after one year to the legal guardianship of relatives and other foster parents between 2000 and 2001. Maryland, another federal waiver state, moved 152 children to permanent legal guardianship in these same two years.
California used TANF funds to support the permanent placement of 5,414 foster children who had been in care at least one year with relatives who were approved as legal guardians by the courts between 2000 and 2001. However, as state and federal budget pressures grow, child welfare leaders are uncertain about the ongoing availability of TANF funds to support subsidized guardianship programs "A number of states have seen tremendous success by maximizing TANF dollars to support guardianship programs, but not all states have been able to access TANF dollars for guardianship. In addition, it is unclear whether that option will be available over the long-term," stated Mary Nelson, President of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators.
Support for Federal Guardianship Assistance is Building
"States have shown that guardianship works, and the federal financing "waivers" have shown how they can be supported and implemented to help children achieve permanence," stated Judge Nancy Salyers, Co-Director of Fostering Results and former Presiding Judge of the Cook County Juvenile Court Child Protection Division. "Having the option of subsidized guardianship for relatives willing to take legal guardianship can only help us ensure that in all 50 states every child in foster care attains a safe, stable home and loving family. The Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care and other experts have recommended that states be given the option to to receive federal assistance to support children leaving foster care to live with legal guardians, rather than having to continue to seek waivers for an idea that has been proven to work."
About Fostering Results
Fostering Results is a national, nonpartisan project to raise awareness of issues facing children in foster care. It is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the Children and Family Research Center at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The complete report is available at www.fosteringresults.org.
http://pewfostercare.org/newsletter/index.php?NewsletterID=20
Family Ties: New Report Finds Children in Long-Term Foster Care Can Find Safety, Permanence and Security with Grandparents and Other Caregivers
National study finds that states with federally subsidized guardianship programs "move children out of long-term foster care into safe, permanent homes."
Washington, DC - According to a new report released today by the national, nonpartisan Fostering Results, children adrift in foster care can find safety, permanence and security with grandparents and other caregivers as an alternative to remaining in foster care. The report, titled "Family Ties," uses recently released 2002 federal data to estimate that 19,250 children in long term relative foster care in the U.S. are in "permanency limbo"* where a court has determined that they cannot be safely returned to their parents nor is adoption an option.
Federal foster care funding can be used to support children in foster care or in adoptive homes, but so-called Title IV-E foster care funding cannot be used to support legal guardianship. Yet, the report found that when states were allowed to use "waivers" of federal foster care financing rules, and when they made use of other flexible funding dollars like TANF to offer federally subsidized guardianship, 9,636 foster children left foster care after one year for permanent homes with legal guardians including grandparents and other caregivers between 2000 and 2001.
"The study illustrates the benefits of having the option of federally subsidized guardianship, for children, families and the foster care system as a whole" states Mark Testa, lead author of the report, Co-Director of Fostering Results and Director of the Children and Family Research Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Among these benefits are:
Transfer of Legal Guardianship Benefits Children and Families
"When children are in the safe and stable care of relatives, prolonging their stay in foster care diverts resources away from other children in need to unnecessary court hearings, caseworker visits, and administrative approvals," says Testa. "The better choice for children and families is to turn safe and stable kinship foster placements into legally permanent homes through either subsidized adoption or subsidized guardianship."
Without legal guardianship, performing even the simplest of tasks can become a bureaucratic ordeal, requiring prior approval by caseworkers or judges and the completion of multiple layers of paperwork. "Even if courts and caseworkers determine that a child is safe and secure in the care of relatives, without legal guardianship, simple tasks like school pictures, routine medical immunizations and out-of-state trips can become a nightmare of paperwork."
Subsidized Guardianship Complements Subsidized Adoption
"The federal government's support for adoption has helped thousands of kids in foster care find permanent, safe, stable homes," said Joe Kroll, Executive Director of the North American Council on Adoptable Children. "But when adoption isn't an option, it's just as important to support grandparents and other kin caregivers who want to become permanent guardians."
For some families, adopting their relative's child is the best path to providing the child with a secure and permanent home. For other relative caregivers, adoption may not be desirable. For example, a grandmother may be willing to assume legal responsibility for a grandchild but may not want to terminate the parental rights of her daughter who is unable to care for the child. For these children, subsidized guardianship offers an alternative route to permanence.
Federally Subsidized Guardianship Helps Children Find Permanence
In a cost-neutral approach some states have received waivers to spend federal funds on subsidized guardianship as an alternative to subsidized foster care. In Illinois, the largest demonstration state in the nation, 2,033 children moved from state custody after one year to the legal guardianship of relatives and other foster parents between 2000 and 2001. Maryland, another federal waiver state, moved 152 children to permanent legal guardianship in these same two years.
California used TANF funds to support the permanent placement of 5,414 foster children who had been in care at least one year with relatives who were approved as legal guardians by the courts between 2000 and 2001. However, as state and federal budget pressures grow, child welfare leaders are uncertain about the ongoing availability of TANF funds to support subsidized guardianship programs "A number of states have seen tremendous success by maximizing TANF dollars to support guardianship programs, but not all states have been able to access TANF dollars for guardianship. In addition, it is unclear whether that option will be available over the long-term," stated Mary Nelson, President of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators.
Support for Federal Guardianship Assistance is Building
"States have shown that guardianship works, and the federal financing "waivers" have shown how they can be supported and implemented to help children achieve permanence," stated Judge Nancy Salyers, Co-Director of Fostering Results and former Presiding Judge of the Cook County Juvenile Court Child Protection Division. "Having the option of subsidized guardianship for relatives willing to take legal guardianship can only help us ensure that in all 50 states every child in foster care attains a safe, stable home and loving family. The Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care and other experts have recommended that states be given the option to to receive federal assistance to support children leaving foster care to live with legal guardians, rather than having to continue to seek waivers for an idea that has been proven to work."
About Fostering Results
Fostering Results is a national, nonpartisan project to raise awareness of issues facing children in foster care. It is supported by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts to the Children and Family Research Center at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The complete report is available at www.fosteringresults.org.
http://pewfostercare.org/newsletter/index.php?NewsletterID=20
How Much Does an Adoption Cost?
Note from unhappygrammy-Notice how a domestic adoption costs the adoptive parent's, yet adopting through foster care costs nothing. What a racket. The adoptive parents are paid by the state!
The cost of adoption will vary by the type of adoption being considered and the fees attached. Adoption costs vary due to, for example, agency and lawyer fees, travel costs, and birth family needs. Adoption costs range from zero with state adoptions to over $30,000 with domestic private or independent adoptions.
http://adoption.about.com/cs/wantingtoadopt/a/cost.htm
The cost of adoption will vary by the type of adoption being considered and the fees attached. Adoption costs vary due to, for example, agency and lawyer fees, travel costs, and birth family needs. Adoption costs range from zero with state adoptions to over $30,000 with domestic private or independent adoptions.
http://adoption.about.com/cs/wantingtoadopt/a/cost.htm
What Is an Adoption Subsidy?
What Is an Adoption Subsidy?
By Carrie Craft, About.com Guide
To help encourage the adoption of special needs children, federal subsidies were created by Congress through Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. A child may receive a federally funded adoption subsidy under Title IV-E or a state funded adoption subsidy (non-Title IV-E) based on each state's guidelines.
Defining Special Needs
A child may be deemed special needs and be eligible for an adoption subsidy based on a variety of guidelines that are unique to each state. Some of the guidelines that help determine a child's eligibility include:
•age of the child
•sibling group of 3 or more who are being adopted together
•medical disability
•mental disability]
•emotional disability
•a family history indicating that the child may need medical treatment or therapy at various developmental milestones
•member of a minority group
To find information specific to your state see the State Adoption Subsidy Profiles.
Amount of Adoption Subsidy
The amount of the adoption subsidy varies by state with a range of approximately $400 to $700 per child. Whether an adoptive relative can obtain an adoption subsidy also varies by state.
Medicaid Benefits
Children who have federally funded (Title IV-E) subsidy are automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, if the child has state-funded adoption subsidy (non-title IV-E) it is the state's decision whether that child is eligible for Medicaid benefit. Benefits cover a broad range of medical services, therapy, and treatment.
Should adoptive families receive adoption subsidies?
1. Yes, but only in the case of special needs children.
2. Yes, adoptive parents are taking on another person's responsibility. They don't know what issues the child may have down the road.
3. No, all parents must be fully responsible for their children, including financially
http://adoption.about.com/od/financialmatters/a/adoptionsubsidy.htm
By Carrie Craft, About.com Guide
To help encourage the adoption of special needs children, federal subsidies were created by Congress through Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980. A child may receive a federally funded adoption subsidy under Title IV-E or a state funded adoption subsidy (non-Title IV-E) based on each state's guidelines.
Defining Special Needs
A child may be deemed special needs and be eligible for an adoption subsidy based on a variety of guidelines that are unique to each state. Some of the guidelines that help determine a child's eligibility include:
•age of the child
•sibling group of 3 or more who are being adopted together
•medical disability
•mental disability]
•emotional disability
•a family history indicating that the child may need medical treatment or therapy at various developmental milestones
•member of a minority group
To find information specific to your state see the State Adoption Subsidy Profiles.
Amount of Adoption Subsidy
The amount of the adoption subsidy varies by state with a range of approximately $400 to $700 per child. Whether an adoptive relative can obtain an adoption subsidy also varies by state.
Medicaid Benefits
Children who have federally funded (Title IV-E) subsidy are automatically eligible for Medicaid benefits. However, if the child has state-funded adoption subsidy (non-title IV-E) it is the state's decision whether that child is eligible for Medicaid benefit. Benefits cover a broad range of medical services, therapy, and treatment.
Should adoptive families receive adoption subsidies?
1. Yes, but only in the case of special needs children.
2. Yes, adoptive parents are taking on another person's responsibility. They don't know what issues the child may have down the road.
3. No, all parents must be fully responsible for their children, including financially
http://adoption.about.com/od/financialmatters/a/adoptionsubsidy.htm
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