Arkansas Advocates released a report today on the state’s foster care system. It’s not good enough. In the last five years, 1,000 children have grown to adulthood without ever being placed in a permanent home. A disproportionate number are black children.
According to the report, aging out of the system leads to further complications once these children begin living on their own. The report finds that they are more likely to experience a number of problems, ranging from unplanned pregnancy and homelessness, to criminal activity. One possible solution to this problem is an increased emphasis on providing them with the necessary skills to live independently, as well as providing a support system for them once they have left.
One obvious solution is NOT, as the Family Council and other “family values” types would like to do, pass legislation prohibting certain types of people from being foster and adoptive parents.