Federal Spending On Children Continues to Decline

According to Children's Budget 2011, spending on children in the 2011 federal budget dropped by nearly 10 percent from 2010, falling to 8.4 percent.

Kids' Share 2011 reveals that, if current law remains unchanged, by as early as 2014, the federal government is projected to spend more on interest payments on the federal debt than on programs that benefit children.

From Which Piece(s) of the Pie will Ohio's $8 Billion Deficit Be Taken?

2010 Ohio Budget Planning and Management Commission

*Figures 1-3 from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Ohio will be facing a budget deficit of approximately $6-8 billion dollars in the next biennium.

In order to begin exploring ways to address the shortfall, the Ohio General Assembly has appointed a group of legislators to serve on a Budget Planning and Management Commission.

The work of the commission will be to identify a menu of options to address the big picture structural changes that must occur in the budget in order to achieve long-term sustainability.

The commission met for the first time on Tuesday and began with a presentation from the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) that provided legislators with a big picture overview of key revenue and expenditure data.

To view the LSC power point, please visit: www.lsc.state.oh.us/research/bpmc062910.pdf

Last month, the Center for Community Solutions released a report entitled, Thinking the Unthinkable, Finding Common Ground for Resolving Ohio’s Fiscal Crisis.

It explores a host of very difficult options in order to address Ohio’s impending budget shortfall, including a model which contains a possible 10%-20% reduction in most human services in the next biennium:

http://www.communitysolutions.com/assets/1/AssetManager/Thinking_the_Unthinkable_Begala_WEB.pdf

Rhode Island Governor is prepared to sacrifice foster children for money

In his effort to close a $360 million budget deficit over two years, Governor Donald Carcieri is willing to sacrifice the futures of teenagers aging out of foster care.

Governor Carcieri has proposed that his state might save approximately $9 million by eliminating services to children in state care when they turn 18.

If passed, a Rhode Island proposal to cut foster kids off of care at age 18, will have serious consequences. Former foster children between the ages of 18-21 would no longer receive the aid that helps them pay for things like school, rent and health insurance.

The Governor has defended his proposal by claiming that teenagers aging out of foster care are less vulnerable than children or senior citizens, because teens will be able to accommodate these service reductions.

Statistics tell a different story.

Casey research has revealed that, four years after leaving state care:
- 25 percent of youth have become homeless
- 42 percent have become parents themselves
- Fewer than one in five is able to support him/herself

Gary Stangler, Executive Director of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, reports that teens who age out of foster care are almost three times as likely as their peers to be disconnected for work or school -- and less likely to receive medical and psychological care.

Half of young adults ages 18-24 in the general population in the United States live at home with their parents, according Children's Rights. Most young adults in the general population rely upon their families for assistance with a place to live, financial support and other guidance as they transition to adulthood.

If children from stable homes and loving families are unable to leave home at age 18 and live independently of their parents, the Governor is being callous and unrealistic to expect more from foster care alumni.

One foster care alumna who has spoken out about this issue is 18-year-old Amanda Addison. She has been bounced around in various placements, including intake centers to short-term foster care homes since childhood, and is now barely scraping by on a $100 a week while preparing to attend community college.

But she worries her plans could be jeopardized if the state lowers the cutoff age for foster care services to eightteen. "It would change everything. I wouldn't be able to go to school. I wouldn't be able to follow my dreams."

Sources:
Baron, Jim. R.I. urged not to drop foster kids at 18. Pawtucket Times, April 4, 2007.
Cook, Nancy. Rhode Island considers foster care cutbacks. NPR, April 12, 2007.
Norton, Justin. R.I. ponders future of foster care. Boston National News, March 16, 2007.

Proposed $17 million cuts threaten Rhode Island teens aging out of foster care

Photo of Gov. Carcieri from http://www.coneg.org













While other states explore options to extend their services to young people transitioning out of foster care, Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri has proposed lowering the cut-off age for foster care services from 21 to 18 years old.

According to his spokeman, "It is the grim reality of having to reduce spending by $360 million. We have to balance the budget. We have no other option."

You have no other option? I think you do. These teenagers did not create the deficit. They did not choose to have parents who cannot or will not accept responsibility for them. Other young adults in "normal families" between the ages of 18-24 can live with their parents - and, statistically, 50% of them choose to do so.

Teens who have aged out of foster care know what it's like to have limited options. Has anyone in our lives taught us how to budget? How to cook? How to drive? We know what it's like to have limited options because there is no one in our lives to catch us if we fall.

A federal study of youth who had been in foster care found that one-fourth had experienced homelessness after leaving the foster care system. We former 'foster kids' are at risk for homelessness, incarceration, unwed pregnancy and joblessness.

Governor Carcieri, as a former foster child and someone who has done the research, I have some news for you. You will 'pay' for former foster children. Either you will be proactive and help them transition to adulthood, or you will be negligent and end up paying welfare or prison costs.

When I left foster care, I attended college. I started college when I was 16 years old. I was thankful for grants. I was thankful for loans. I was thankful for temporary guardians until I was 17 years old. And, frankly, the state where I lived was lucky that I chose to seek higher education, rather than repeating the cycle.

Would you rather pay for me to receive a welfare payment or loan me the money for college and grad school?

I agree wholeheartedly with Lisa Guillette, the executive director of the Rhode Island Foster Parents Association, "It's almost like building the bridge and not connecting the rest of the highway. When we get them to the most critical point of their young lives we're going to abandon them? It's immoral and it's bad policy. It's walking away from the investment we've made in them."

Sources:
Bayles, Fred and Sharon Cohen. "Chaos often the only parent for abused and neglected children." (AP) Los Angeles Times, April 30, 2000.
Norton, Justin M. Rhode Island ponders future of foster care. Associated Press, March 16, 2007.