Fostering Love

Opinion By: Donna M. Butts Read time:
Fostering Love
I agree with the Star-Banner editorial "Family values at work and overlooked" (Aug. 6) that it is unfair relative caregivers do not receive the same supports and services that foster parents receive, when doing the same important work of raising and loving a child in need.

Pending national legislation would give states the option to use federal funds to support relatives who care for foster children when adoption or reunification with their parents is not possible.

Currently, there are 20,000 foster children living with relatives who could exit the system today if federally supported guardianships existed. Such assistance for guardians would allow children to exit foster care to a loving family while providing dedicated caregivers support equal to that which they would have received if the child stayed in foster care.

In short, federally supported guardianships would help thousands of kids grow up in a safe and loving family rather than the foster care system. The state would likely have fewer administrative costs, and grandparents would no longer have to make choices between prescription drugs for themselves and new school clothes for the kids.

What better way to show our respect and gratitude for those who are providing safe and permanent homes to children?

 

Donna M. Butts is executive director of Generations United.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

About a dozen people stand examining large blue bins full of whole fish in a warehouse. Some people are in green clothes, others in blue, and all wear ballcaps. A few hold clipboards. Reducing Risk Strengthens the Seafood Supply Chain
A worker in a seafood market dumps bright orange shrimp from a blue bin onto a bed of ice between a lot of other seafood laid out for sale. Other workers are visible in the background, as are the arms of shoppers placing orders from the other side of the ice bed. Seafood Industry Benefits From Greater Vessel Transparency
An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.