FPWA believes that every child has the right to a permanent home and a stable environment. The child welfare system provides a variety of services in order to achieve this goal, including:
1) preventive services to build stability in families at risk of entering the child welfare system,
2) foster care services to keep children in safe, nurturing environments in times of crisis, and
3) group home and residential care services for children in need of specialized care and attention.

FPWA urges all levels of government to support the child welfare system by investing in policies that protect children from abuse and neglect, support and strengthen families in caring for their children, find safe and permanent families for children who enter the foster care system, and help older foster youth adjust to independent living.

FPWA advocates for policies that keep children safe from abuse and neglect and ensure that children entering the foster care system ultimately find safe and permanent living situations, including policies that will:

• Provide families in need with preventive services that strengthen the family structure and keep children safely at home when possible.
  
• Ensure that all children who enter the child welfare system are treated with care and moved quickly and efficiently towards permanency.
  
• Recognize the valuable role of foster care and preventive services agencies and assist them in providing high-quality services to families, including measures that support improved service delivery and promote the child welfare workforce.
  
• Address the needs of youth aging out of the foster care system with services that help them in transitioning into adulthood.

NEW
FPWA Responds to ACS’ Child Welfare Concept Paper pdf (80438 bytes) March 19, 2008

Examples of key priorities in Child Welfare include:

State

• Create a state-funded higher education scholarship program for foster care youth attending college in the SUNY or CUNY system or vocational training programs.
  
• Preserve the state match for open-ended child welfare funding at 65%.

• Baseline and increase funding to reduce preventive services caseloads
  
• Baseline funding for 1,000 new preventive services slots added in FY 07-08

For more information contact Vani Sankarapandian, JD Senior Policy Analyst.