Research Paper on Foster Care Subsidies And Social Welfare

Introduction

The foster care system in the United States has helped in the provision of shelter as well as other needs for the children under the system. However, there are costs associated with the foster care system and which have been minimized in some of the states in the effort of ensuring the efficiency of the system, especially for the long term foster homes. It is important to understand that the foster care system is inclusive of several costs which are prone to occur as well as change time after time. These costs are supposed to be catered for in the foster homes this ensuring the comfortability of the children under the system. As a result of the high costs of living in the country, there is the high possibility of inefficiency in regards to the caring for the children where there is the substandard provision of services to the children. There are cases that have been reported according to the statistics conducted in the foster homes as well as the reports that have been issued and which explain the issue of mismanagement of funds issued for the foster care purposes. The following discussion, therefore, is an analysis of the foster care system in relation to the costs involved in the system in the effort of increasing its efficiency.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

First and foremost, it is important to understand that the foster care has led to the minimization of the children in the streets and at the same time, ensuring that there is enough care for the children through the homes that have been placed in the different states. However, through the information gathered in various sources, it is clear that there are possible cases of fund misappropriation which has resulted in the questioning of fund distribution. In relation to the above statement, there are reports that have shown some foster care homes taking advantage of their position and ability to host the children under the system to benefit themselves financially with the funds that are meant for the foster children (Argys, Laura, and Brian Duncan 2013, pp. 933-954). According to the reports, there are funds that have been allocated to the children welfare and which minimize as the children grow towards the outer society. There are exceptional cases however for some of the children under the system but still, the problem of system funding in the country remains unresolved. Therefore, it has been a positive step to the states that have incorporated the cost negotiations for the foster homes in the effort of ensuring the child welfare (Barth, Richard P., et al . 2006, pp. 127-158). The American nation has set the required limits to the foster homes to ensure efficiency in the fund provided for the system. This includes the number of children in each home based on the abilities of the foster homes. There are situations where there are high numbers of children within the foster cares as well as the minimal numbers of the children under the less stable homes. The limit also includes the variation of resources that are provided within the homes based on the ability to hold a certain number of children in particular homes. Through the sources of research on the foster homes, there is the analysis of the resources and funds that have been issued to the foster homes against the beneficiaries of the funds. Trough the analysis, there is the possibility to determine the appropriation of the funds in the foster homes. There is the storage of the data for future references to help in the management and accounting of the funds in each of the American states. Through the statistics and analysis, it is evident that there is the possibility of a large population of the children under the foster care system not being adopted and a bigger population of the children ending up in placements which might have a higher cost of maintenance. The above evidence, therefore, explains the high chance of increasing the money disbursed for the foster care system. In addition, the information reveals that the plan of adoption is appropriate for the government as the harsh economic times might be diluted with the involvement of the adoption plan by the government. Weighing on both sides of the adoption against the adoption, there is less money that is spent on the adoption system than on the foster care which means that there is the chance for the systems to go for the adoption option.

The foster system also involves regular checkups to certify the fitness of the environment in which the children in the system grow. Through the supervision of the government, there is the ease in collecting the necessary information regarding the topic. An example of the collected information I the number of people that live under each of the foster homes and therefore generating the general report of the total number of children under the system. Through the identification of the population, then it is possible to decide the amount of money in the state that is to be allocated to each of the foster homes. Another data that can be collected through the regular check up is the state of conditions surrounding the welfare of the children under the system. The state of conditions surrounding the welfare of the children will then lead to the determination of how much is required for the foster homes and how much has been accounted for the period of money disbarment. Through the evaluation of the above information, there are the calculations made on the future steps on ensuring the stability of the homes that host the children under the system. This works well especially with the homes that tend to take permanent control of the children under the system and that includes the lifetime costs that come along. The programs that offer the permanent host for the children include the annual as well as the monthly deductions of the costs. At this point, it is important to understand that despite the money issued by the government to the homes, there are costs that are not catered for in the plan but which ought to be incurred in the process. Therefore, in the effort of reducing such costs to favor the foster care program, there is the gradual decrease in subsidies for these homes.

The child welfare act dictates that there is the monthly amount of funds that are supposed to be issued to the adoption and foster care systems in the effort of increasing the number of adoptions in the country. The increase in the amount of money will definitely result in the urge and need of the foster homes to create space for more children. The act also covers for the children with the special needs which mean that there is the financial support issued to the needy in the country. In addition to the monthly disbarments, there is a reduction in subsidies that relate to the foster homes in order to ensure that there is the fair treatment of the programs. It is basic knowledge that much expense brought about by the children under the system will definitely lead to an increase in rejections. The strategy is supposed to help in covering for the children in the streets as well as those who might be well conversant with the normal human life. The act applies in relation to the international human rights act where the government is supposed to be responsible for its own citizens in terms of providing and protecting their rights. In this situation, the ability of the children in the system to stay comfortable and focus on achieving their life goals is a responsibility of the government and therefore, the act explains why there is the increase in the subsidies that are made to the foster homes. However, it is important to understand that there is the time limit that is involved in the issuing of the funds. The longer the time spent by a child in the foster care system, the less the money issued for the child. Therefore, there are some needs that have to be cut in order to ensure the satisfaction of the amount issued on the monthly basis. In the effort of covering for the money that might be lost as the child develops, the children under the system are encouraged to engage in the social activities which might lead to the increase in their own finances to stabilize their situation. Also, the government has a plan to minimize the possible dependence levels by teaching and practicing the importance of work in the early stages of life. With the knowledge, then there is the possibility of reducing the dependency levels once the children under the system get to work. Therefore, the plan is among the strategies that have been employed by the government in different states. However, there are exceptional situations of physically challenged children where there is the extension of the money issued to each of the foster homes with the condition. In the effort of making the shift of the children from the foster care system to the adoption system, there is the enrollment of the children into the IV-E where the children that have been enrolled will possibly experience the benefits of the increased subsidiaries (Gibbs, Deborah, et al 2006, pp. 71-90). This is boosted by the individual effort as well as the support from the system to enroll the children under the IV-E system. This also tags along the situation of the physically challenged children in the population. The statistics gathered from the sources show that there is a higher percentage of seventy-five percent of the children who have enrolled in the system. Therefore, there are more services that are issued to these children with unfortunate conditions.

According to the information gathered from the relevant sources, it is clear that the youth who are way older for the system usually tends to contribute to the unemployment rates in the country thus resulting to the increase of the poverty levels in the country. In addition, there is the chance that the youth might end up homeless and with no concerned people to care for them. Therefore, it is the initiative of the government in various states to ensure that there is the full control of the system in the effort of accommodating as many children as possible in the system to reduce the chances of the named case scenarios (Buckles, Kasey S. 2013, pp. 596-627). Also, the increase in the subsidizes leads to the increased interests of the foster homes in accommodating more population under them as there are other financial benefits accompanying the accommodation. The process of distributing the children under the foster care increases the chances of the children to get absorbed into the adoption system by guiding them through the necessary requirements and behavior (Rosenberg, Rachel, and Youngmi Kim. 2018, pp.99-115). The numbers of uneducated people in the country have also been associated with the youth who might be out of the age limit of accommodation in the foster care system. As they fall out of the system, there is the high chance that they might not access the formal education system which would otherwise be offered in the foster care system.

Conclusion

The above discussion explains the financial plan of the different states which help in ensuring the efficiency of the foster care system as well as the adoption system. The discussion includes the different strategies that have been employed by the government in ensuring that there is the best manner of running these systems. However, there are challenges that are involved while distributing the periodical funds as well as increasing subsidies and these challenges are handled differently by the involved authorities. The discussion has elaborated the functions of the states in the financial support of the foster care support as well as explaining the benefits of the plan in relation to the different passed laws in the states. There are the possible errors in the systems that have been highlighted in the discussion as well such as the fate of the aged out youth who are not included in the system....