I've worked in Children's Services for 32 years, and I deal with all things fiscal day in/out for Foster Care, adoptions, CPS & Preventive services. We don't get grants, not sure where that idea comes from -- I'm in NY but have worked frequently with FL as I handle out-of-state adoptions that move into my district, and the money piece is pretty uniform across the country. I've found that the only thing that really varies from state-to-state is the amount of money paid to the foster parents, most everything else is comparable.
Federal funding is based on a specific set of criteria that must be fully documented, and that funding does not exceed the actual cost -- income must exceed cost for there to be a profit of any kind, no matter what business you're in. No one working in Children's Services is making extra money, no one overseeing it is making extra money, and no one in a legislative position is making extra money from placing children in Foster Care. We face rigorous audits to ensure we are only claiming the reimbursement we're entitled to, and there are serious sanctions for those districts who are non-compliant. All of these conspiracy theories of DSS getting their hooks into kids because us fat cats are getting a bonus are ridiculous -- for Pete's sake, in my lifetime, I've only ever owned one car from the same decade in which I'm living!
Abuse happens everywhere there are people, whether that be in the child's home or someplace else -- it's why we continue to push and push and push for public education and eliminating the mindset that CPS is the bad guy, so that children speak up when it happens and we can intervene to stop the abuse. It's why we have mandated reporters, so we can be made aware as soon as it's detected, and take action. Family isn't always better, no matter their intentions, and it's not up to anyone outside of the department doing the investigation to make that decision -- it's not done in a vacuum, there is a lot that goes into ensuring a home and caretaker meets the standards in place and has the ability to protect the child from further harm. We make those determinations on facts and evidence, not emotions or urban legends about a price on every child's head so we can line our pockets. Sometimes it's a lengthy process if the person has a lot in their background, and so many times they just aren't appropriate or even willing -- there are plenty of times relatives offer themselves as resources because they are bullied into it by other family members, or they don't realize that they are responsible for getting the kid to appointments and therapy and visitation and court, or they don't want DSS watching over their shoulder, and they quietly back down when they learn those things. John Q Public doesn't get that information, so naturally the world thinks we're slacking or idiots or too busy sitting back counting our billions while Granny pines for a child she doesn't really want to care for but is too uncomfortable to come out and say so.
. I just saw a real cute video of him and his mom this morning on SM. I feel so bad for him. No matter what, it is clear his mom loved him and he was happy with her.
