New York Times

U.S. Finds Fault in All 50 States' Child Welfare Programs

April 26, 2004
By ROBERT PEAR

"WASHINGTON, April 25 - Federal investigators have found
widespread problems in child welfare programs intended to
protect children from abuse and neglect, and no state has
received passing grades from the Bush administration in
reviews conducted over the last three years."

"Seven of the 14 federal standards focus on the safety and
well-being of children, including the incidence of abuse
and neglect, the time they spend in foster care and the stability
of their living arrangements."

Federal officials said 16 states did not meet any of the
seven standards. These states were Alaska, California,
Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska,
North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming."
"President Bush has proposed giving states grants to run
their foster care programs in the next five years. States
would have broad discretion in deciding how to use the
money."

"But Representative George Miller, Democrat of California,
said, "It would be foolhardy to award states a block grant
like that at a time when they cannot meet the specific
mandates in current law."

"Just this month the comptroller of Texas, Carole Keeton
Strayhorn, issued a report on the state's foster care
system that was more negative than the federal review."

"Some of these children are no better off in the care of
the state than they were in the hands of abusive and
negligent parents," said Ms. Strayhorn, a Republican. "Some
children have been moved among 30 or 40 temporary homes.
Some have been sexually, physically and emotionally abused
while in the system. A few have even died at the hands of
those entrusted with their care."