skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

UAW strike continues: Officials say EPA standards must catch up; Mississippians urged to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 7 general election; NYers worry about impacts of government shutdown.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate leaders advance a plan to avoid a government shutdown, an elections official argues AI could be a threat to democracy and voting rights advocates look to states like Arizona to rally young Latino voters.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A small fire department in rural Indiana is determined not to fail new moms and babies, the growing election denial movement has caused voting districts to change procedures and autumn promises spectacular scenery along America's rural byways.

Report: Ohio Foster Teens Need Families

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 3, 2019   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - More progress is needed in Ohio to increase family placements for children in the foster-care system, a new report reveals.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 85% of Ohio kids who need to be separated from their parents are staying with a foster family or relative, a slight increase from 10 years ago. However, the report shows 40% of Ohio teens in the foster-care system are placed in a group setting, compared with 31% in 2007.

Tracy Najera, executive director of the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, said state leaders have an opportunity to increase supports for family placements.

"Gov. Mike DeWine has committed to doubling the state's investments in children's services in the upcoming state budget," she said. "Part of this commitment includes about $8.5 million to recruit foster families and support kin providers. We have to make sure that the Legislature is supportive of this level of funding as well."

Nearly 15,000 children are in Ohio's foster-care system. Nationally, there's been a 5-percentage-point increase in the number of children placed in foster families in the past decade.

In some cases, said Rob Geen, director of policy and advocacy reform for the Casey Foundation, group placements are necessary because of a medical or behavioral health need. However, he said, it can compound the trauma experienced when kids are separated from their biological parents.

"If a child needs a therapeutic intervention that is not appropriate in a family setting, of course we want them to have very high-quality residential care," he said. "But the point of that is for them to then succeed in a family, later on."

Without a stable family environment, Najera said, foster youths are more likely to experience homelessness, unemployment and early parenthood.

"Ohio has some of the worst outcomes when it comes to foster youths who age out of the system," she said, "and we need to use every tool in our toolbox to reverse that trend and to make sure that all our children and our foster youths have bright futures and can successfully transition into adulthood."

She said a new federal law, the Family First Prevention Services Act, provides opportunities for states to ensure that children are in homes that best address their needs, and that their caregivers are supported.

The report is online at aecf.org.


get more stories like this via email

Social Issues

play sound
more stories
Montana has more than 30 million acres of state and federal lands, nearly one third of the state. Conservation advocates are holding a photo contest featuring people and their dogs to celebrate being outdoors. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This is the last weekend to get involved in a photo competition designed to encourage Montanans to explore the wilderness with their pets. There …


play sound

In a new poll, about a quarter of Hispanic students in post-high school education and training programs report feeling discriminated against…

Social Issues

play sound

New Yorkers are preparing for an impending government shutdown. State officials are worried about how it could impact the work state agencies have …


In 1920, Black people made up 14% of all farmers. It is estimated Black farmers lost around $326 billion worth of land within the 20th century. BIPOC farmers now make up less than 5% of all U.S. farmers. (Heather Craig/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Advocates are drawing attention to systemic racism in farming across North Carolina and the nation. The National Farm Worker Ministry is hosting its …

Environment

play sound

Researchers have found the amount of land affected by saltwater intrusion on the Delmarva Peninsula has dramatically increased in recent years…

Groups trying to prevent bullying say simple things such as sparking conversations in the classroom about each student's favorite TV show can help establish inclusiveness. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

This weekend marks the kickoff of National Bullying Prevention Month. Those raising awareness hope schools in South Dakota and elsewhere work toward …

Environment

play sound

The arrival of fall has farmers transitioning to the harvest season, but what if some gathered their crops with rows of solar panels right alongside …

Environment

play sound

A new report finds more than half of the sewage facilities in Idaho had pollution violations in 2022. The sixth annual analysis by the Idaho …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021