WASHINGTON: PUBLIC HEARING ON FOSTER CARE A ‘POSITIVE STEP’

           HARRISBURG, November 14 - Today’s public hearing on Pennsylvania’s foster care system was a “positive step” toward making the necessary improvements to benefit children and foster families, according to state Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery), who hosted the hearing.

There are more than 22,000 children in foster care programs throughout Pennsylvania.

“While there are many families who lovingly accept children into their homes, there are simply too many cases of abuse and neglect, and too many older children are slipping through the cracks,” said Washington, who is the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. “Today’s hearing was a positive step toward helping vulnerable children and young adults, and I look forward to continuing to close the loopholes in our foster care system.”

The Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing, held in Harrisburg, welcomed guest speakers from various facets of the foster care system.

Foster children who turn 18 are particularly vulnerable, according to testimony from Richard Gelles, the dean at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.

When these children turn 18, their foster families lose eligibility for Title IV E Placement Maintenance funding.

“The idea that children who grow up in foster care are ready to live adult lives at age 18 is unrealistic,” said Gelles, who later added, “These children are at high risk for welfare dependency, homelessness, substance abuse and crime.”

Gelles recommended raising the age of eligibility for Title IV E Placement Maintenance funding to age 21. The cost of extending children’s foster care funding eligibility would be offset by welfare and criminal justice savings, Gelles said.

Pennsylvania only has about 100 transitional houses for homeless youth and, in Philadelphia alone, the adult shelter system has seen a rise in the number of young people seeking emergency shelter, according to testimony from Jerome Kilbane, executive director of Covenant House Pennsylvania, a private agency that provides shelter and services to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth.

Last year, the city’s Office of Emergency Shelter Services reported that nearly 4,000 18- to 23-year-olds sought shelter through adult services, Kilbane said.

“Philadelphia does not have a comprehensive network of services for runaway and homeless youth outside of the child welfare and delinquency systems,” said Kilbane, who recommended increased funding to build a continuum of services that meets the needs of the homeless, runaway and “throwaway” youth population.

“I am troubled by the number of young adults who are simply cast into society at the age of 18, without any transition or any support,” Washington said. “We as a legislature need to seriously contemplate ways to help young adults, ages 18 to 23, so that they aren’t forced into a life of despair.”