by Brian Shilhavy

Health Impact News

We are very pleased to see local media investigate the corrupt practices of child service agencies kidnapping children. While we disagree with the News Anchor at N.C. Fox 8 who started this report by stating that removal of children by the State is “almost always” in the best interest of the child (we have been covering this issue probably longer and have looked into probably more cases than they have, and we have found that it is almost NEVER in the best interest of the child to remove them from the home), we do applaud their investigation into why children removed from supposed “abusive homes” are almost never placed with family members, but instead go into the foster care system to strangers.

Fox 8 points out in their investigation that North Carolina rejects funding that would put children permanently with relatives instead of in foster homes. Grandparents who are able and willing to care for their grandchildren, for example, are routinely rejected by the State.

Why?

Melissa Painter of Fox 8 points out that in North Carolina more than 10,000 children are in foster care under the care of the State. This brings in more than $198 million of funding to take care of these children.

Federal laws actually require states to give preference to placing children with relatives. There is even federal funding available to place the children with relatives in “permanent legal guardianships.” But North Carolina (and many other states) do not follow this practice, because children put up for adoption bring in more federal funding. Instead of giving federal funds that can be designated for relatives in guardianships, they keep the funds for themselves to administer the foster care and adoption system.

In short, a child put into the foster care system on the path to adoption, brings in more money to the State and employs more people to “administer” these children. They are simply unwilling to give these funds to relatives to take care of the children, because their job security is at stake.

Child welfare experts say subsidized guardianships save taxpayers money in the long run, because they cut the enormous ADMINISTRATIVE costs of managing an open foster care case. (emphasis added.)

Watch the Fox 8 report for yourself:

Source.