This KIDS COUNT policy report highlights the benefits of family care for children and the need to prioritize family settings for all children in the child welfare system in the United States. According to the report, one in seven children under the care of the US child welfare system is placed in a group setting despite a lack of any documentation of the child’s medical or behavioral need that would necessitate care in a group or residential setting. Furthermore, says the report, some children (particularly adolescents) are placed directly into group homes upon removal from the family and entry into the care system.
The report states that this unnecessary placement of teens into group settings is due to lack of appropriate family care options, primarily because child welfare agencies have either not made diligent enough efforts to find family members of the adolescents or else have not recruited enough foster families with the skills and support to take on older youth. The report calls on policymakers, judges and child welfare agencies to ensure that all efforts are made to place children in family, rather than group, settings. The report provides examples from individual states and agencies that have implemented best practices in regards to keeping children in families. The report also highlights specific practices for equipping families to help children succeed and advancing appropriate residential treatment. The report concludes with recommendations on how to help every kid live in a family, which include: (1) expanding the service array; (2) recruiting, strengthening, and retaining more relative and foster families; and (3) supporting decision-making that ensures the least restrictive placements.
