This Issue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Vol. 4, No. 1 • Fall 1999

Advocacy Opportunity:
Shortage of Licensing
Workers Hurting North
Carolina Foster Children

North Carolina�s county departments of social services do not have enough adoption/foster care licensing staff, and the shortage is hurting kids. Due to the lack of licensing staff, we are seeing:

  • insufficient offerings of MAPP/GPS, the basic training for prospective foster/adoptive parents,

  • delays in licensing approval,

  • overuse of existing licensed homes,

  • marginally appropriate or inappropriate placements for children,

  • inadequate supervision and support for foster/adoptive parents.

If this shortage continues, we are likely to see more foster parent burnout and disruptions of foster care placements. Without licensing staff to recruit, train, and license foster and adoptive homes, more children will experience multiple placements and longer waits for adoption.

You can do something about this. Contact your representatives in the North Carolina legislature and let them know how you feel about this issue�urge them to increase the number of foster/adoption licensing social workers during the next legislative session (May 2000). If you are unsure who your representatives are, you can call the North Carolina General Assembly at 919/733-4111 or visit their website.

In addition to speaking with your representatives yourself, you may want to contact a local or statewide child advocacy group about this issue. For example, the Covenant with North Carolina�s Children is a multidisciplinary, statewide coalition advancing public policy to benefit the children in North Carolina. The North Carolina Foster Parent Association is a member of the Covenant. For more information, visit their website , or contact lobbyist Paula Wolf at 919/834-6623, ext. 227.

North Carolina foster care facts

  • Children in DSS custody/placement responsibility as of June 30, 1999: 11,234

  • Kids in �out-of-home� care: 7,882

  • Number of these in foster family homes: 4,457

Demographics of children in custody/placement responsibility

Gender      
  Males: 5,777 Females: 5,457  
       
Age      
  Ages 0�5: 3,387 Ages 6�12: 4,127 Ages 13+: 3,720
       
Race      
  White: 40.9% Black: 51.1%  
  Hispanic: 6% Native Amer.: 1.4%  

 

Copyright � 2000 Jordan Institute for Families