April 27, 2015
Across the country, children are suffering because of a severe shortage of foster homes. They’re being placed in shelters, mental hospitals, and spending the night in child welfare offices, simply because states have nowhere else for them to go. The statistics tell the story: Demand for foster beds is exceeding supply by more than 30 percent nationally.
Children’s Rights brings this to light in the spring edition of Notes From the Field. In our cover story, “No Place to Call Home,” you’ll meet Mackenzie, who remembers being moved 26 times while in state care. She recalls spending almost a month in a hospital that was only supposed to keep her for a few days and living in a bedbug-infested group home with holes in the walls. She also describes living in an unlicensed foster home because child welfare workers “didn’t have anywhere else to put me.” At 15, she shared a bed with the parents: “Clothing was optional.”
In this newsletter, you can also follow us inside the courtroom for a look at our trial in Texas, where unmanageable caseloads and poor oversight are hurting children in the very system intended to protect them. Also in this edition: What prompted CR to take action in Arizona and South Carolina? We’ll flesh out what’s at stake for thousands of kids on the road ahead.
Be sure to check out our third annual Fostering the Future campaign, which launches May 1st. You can count on our bloggers to inspire and awaken a dialogue on child welfare issues with their powerful first-hand stories. Meet three of our bloggers in our feature, “CR Campaign Puts Spotlight on Life in Care,” and find out how you can help to amplify the voices of those who have been touched by state care.