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A White Paper on America's Family Values: The Facts About Child Maltreatment and the Child Welfare Financing System.
Fellmeth, Robert C.
Children's Advocacy Institute.
University of San Diego School of Law.
Technical Report
1 v. (various pagings)
Copyright
Published: September 2018
Children's Advocacy Institute
University of San Diego School of Law
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
Tel: 619-260-4806
Fax: 619-260-4753
info@caichildlaw.org
Available From:http://www.caichildlaw.org/
Download: http://www.caichildlaw.org/Misc/WP.pdf
This white paper identifies shortcomings in the current federal child welfare financing system, and recommends changes for improvement. It calls for a funding system that allows effective implementation of child welfare laws by government at the State and federal levels. It also recommends required longitudinal independent studies of each major program receiving federal funds and a specified appropriation for that purpose. The paper begins by reviewing reasons for child maltreatment, including cultural denigration of initial adult commitment to children, child poverty, alcohol and drug addiction, lack of basic parenting information, and a political focus on adults rights. The essential elements of the child welfare system are then described, including efforts at prevention, detection, family preservation and child removals, placement and permanency, and assistance with transition to self-sufficiency. The following section reviews federal child welfare funding streams, such as Title IV-E programs, Title IV-B programs, the Court Improvement Project, CAPTA, Chafee Educational Support, the Victims of Child Abuse Act, Adoption Opportunities Program, the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act of 1988, the Social Services Block Grant, other accounts with some effect on child welfare, and pending child welfare bills. Deficiencies in the current child welfare financing system are explained, as well as counter-productive positions and prescriptions. Finally, federal child welfare financing reform proposals are discussed. Proposals include: adjust the term revenue neutral to its proper definition and end the lookback, require evidence-based and funded evaluation with sunset specifications, achieve permanency through a federal incentive, and adopt additional statutory changes that will address affirmative defects in current child welfare laws. 24 references.
Keywords:
child abuse; child neglect; child welfare services; child welfare reform; state federal aid; proposed legislation; evidence based practice; funding; child welfare laws; grants; permanency