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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Thousands of NY Grandparents Raising Grandkids Face Deep Cuts

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Monday, March 7, 2011   

NEW YORK - More than a quarter-million New York children are being raised by their grandparents. However, proposed state budget cuts could mean that thousands of those children will no longer be able to live with family, but would be sent to more expensive state foster care. The Cuomo administration says it's part of a proposal that would save taxpayers $40 million.

However, Jenifer Patsiner, director of the Long Island KinCare Connection for the National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights, says that what looks like millions in savings today, could end up costing New York billions in the long run.

"They are arguing that there's going to be cost savings; we understand that, but when we take a real look at it, what will happen is you'll have to spend more money with the foster care system, because these children will no longer be in our program."

Patsiner says it costs $2.7 million a year to fund 21 Kinship Programs statewide, that enable 5,000 children to keep living with their grandparents. She says that, if just 125 of those children end up in state foster care, that will equal the cost of running their program for a year.

Patsiner says there will be both monetary and emotional costs, if the proposed cuts force kids to leave family and enter the state foster care system.

"They're no longer with their grandparents, they're with a stranger, and that's very scary for any child; and then the foster care services have to spend more money to help get these kids adjusted again."

The Cuomo administration says the new system will provide incentives for programs to work more efficiently, but Patsiner says that in reality, all of them will be competing for less funding. She hopes lawmakers take a close look at the math.

"Basically, New York spends about $1.3 billion annually on foster care services and less than $3 million on our Kinship programs, so they'd be smart to actually keep these Kinship programs and save a lot of money."

Concerned grandparents and their supporters are headed to Albany to meet with lawmakers on Thursday.

More information is at www.grandparentsforchildren.org




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