Legislative Event: Fixing Foster Care, Challenges and Solutions

Held at the California Science Center, the special public meeting allowed foster care stakeholders to explain current practices. They discussed what is working and what more needs to be done, and gave testimony as to how children are truly affected. As the legislators listened, both Bass and Beall acknowledged a need for system-wide reform.

About 74,000 foster children in California do not live with their natal families because of abuse or neglect at home, according to the Department of Children and Family Services. Of those children, nearly half are younger than age 5. It is predicted that by the third grade, 83 percent of foster youth will be held back a grade, and one in four who leave the system at age 18 will be incarcerated within two years.

Speakers at the hearing included Trish Ploehn, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; Norma Mtume of Shields for Families and Coleen Mooney of the South Bay Center for Counseling, both community-based organizations that work with foster youth and "at risk" families and are also First 5 LA Partnerships for Families grantees.

Howard Hines from the Fresno County Department of Children and Family Services described a successful pilot program in his county. Social workers gave a "front line" perspective while foster parents and children spoke about moments of desperation as well as triumph during their time in the foster care system

Following panel presentations, community members asked legislators questions and made comments which ranged from demanding more local control and community input in how the system works to exposing the severe racial disparities reflected in the foster youth population.

First 5 LA contractor LA Universal Preschool commented on its special effort to enroll foster children into preschool and to provide screening, referral and follow up for developmental delays common to this population. According to LAUP, giving children this early start can be a stabilizing force in an often unstable foster care environment.

As the meeting drew to a close, public comments exceeded the allotted time and Beall announced that he will hold another forum in Los Angeles to allow all comments from the community to be heard.

First 5 LA interviewed Trish Ploehn and Norma Mutume about children 0-5 and foster care. Click below to hear their comments and to view pictures of the event.

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