America’s Forgotten: Homeless Children & Families Increase
One of our fantastic readers voiced an intriguing issue that caught our interest; the issue of children being taken away from poor families who aren’t able to provide sufficient care, support, and adequate housing.
In a previous post our reader commented:
“I’m used to living on an extremely tight budget in houses that you could lose your custody rights for. Poor parents are always at risk of losing their kids because we have to budget on what we have and often there isn’t a way to get more unless someone in the world wants to help you…” –Becky on How To Survive a Financial Emergency
Homeless children and families are on the increase due to economic recession, foreclosures, and loss of jobs. Poor families are finding it harder to provide care for their children and homelessness among families are becoming more prevalent. A report issued by the National Coalition for the Homeless announced that families with children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. Moreover, many homeless families are turning away from the provision of state shelters for fear of losing their children.
In this post we address 1) the epidemic problem of poor families and homeless children in America, and 2) the controversial question that arises: should homeless families turn their children over to foster care? Consider the following facts:
Homeless Children in Foster Care
- 750,000 homeless children are released into the foster care system every year [Social Issues Affecting Children & Their Families, The Merck Manuals, 2007]
- 8 out of 10 children in the foster care system experience developmental, emotional, or behavioral problems. Mental health services are the #1 requested healthcare need in the foster care system [Child Welfare League of America, 2007]
- “Removal from family is enormously painful to children”, “Children in foster care leave behind their neighborhoods, communities, schools, and most of their belongings. Many children and adolescents in foster care feel anxious, uncertain, and helpless to control their lives. Many feel angry, rejected, and pained by the separation or they develop a profound sense of loss”. -Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD
Homeless Families and Children
- 1 out of 50 American children are homeless (that’s 1.5 million disadvantaged children), nearly half of which are under the age of 6
- Reports indicate that Children of homeless families are more likely to go hungry, experience deteriorating health problems and traumatic stress from being street bound, repeat a grade in school, and increased probability of dropping out
- Only 1 child out of 4 children of homeless families will graduate from high school, consequently losing out on $200,000 of income over the course of his or her lifetime compared to children who graduate with a degree
[The National Center on Family Homelessness, 2009]
America Ignores the Homeless
It’s easy to overlook the situation of homelessness in America as we see homeless adults everyday. What we don’t see, however, are their homeless children.
States aren’t doing much to correct this issue, and many have inadequate planning agendas (if one at all) to address the problem of children going homeless. To see how your state ranks on degree of homeless families and lack of state initiative to solve the problem check out this great site homelesschildrenamerica.org.
The issue of homeless children and families poses a controversial question:
What is the best decision for disadvantaged families to do for their children when faced with homelessness (or the inability to provide adequate shelter, food, or support)? Should they turn over their children to the state for quality care? Or should they do whatever it takes to preserve family unity? The trade off is grim on both sides: provision versus preservation? If you had to make this decision in your family what would you do? Please leave us your feedback…!
For additional resources and ways to get involved, check out these fantastic sites:
***Don’t Forget: If you found this post interesting and you’d like to spread more awareness, please help us by telling others. Email this link to your friends, post it in outside forums, share it on Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter, and lets tell the world about this problem!***
http://www.microgiving.com/blog/2009/03/20/america’s-forgotten-homeless-children-families-increase
20. March 2009 at 8:13 pm :
Faced with the decision, I would persevere and keep the family unit. Worst possible case scenario I would find a specific home with specific people I could trust to take in my children while I got back on my feet. I’ve done it before, and it worked for me. Never would I subject my children to strangers, state or anyone else. They may never recover. I have the knowledge and ability to live in the wilderness with no money whatsoever so even if the world were being destroyed, I could provide life and happYness for my family~
20. March 2009 at 8:15 pm :
And as my story goes, I’m fighting the system to get my daughter back so I may be bias in my decision~
21. March 2009 at 9:49 pm :
I have been faced with this decision a few times in my life. I became homeless twice when my oldest child was young. At one time we lived in a schoolbus, he was 3 years old. I was forced to move into housing that was the WORST place imaginable for my child. The bus was much safer basically we were camping out on several acres of land, there was a garden there we could eat from, a nearby stream to bathe, easy access to wood to heat and cook with. I was moved into the nastiest roach motel with drunks barfing off the balcony. This to the city was better for me and my child. Had I known what kind of help I would have received….I would have hid out in that bus forever.
Several more times in my life I had become without the things the child protective services declare necessary for raising children. Many times I laid low and did my best. Always keeping my family together.
My mother was poor all her life, and me and my sister grew up below poverty level. No matter what, we were together. My mom suffered no less than we did and we had that sense of belonging, togetherness, family…nothing can replace that in my opinion, no matter how poor you are, when you have your family you are the richest person in many other ways.
My boys both know the hardships of poverty, of not having a home of their own, of losing all their belongings right down to eyeglasses and medications….they have had a rough life all their life but if you ask them today if they would have preferred to suffer what they did or have been turned over to foster care for a chance at a better life….they will both tell you they would do it all over again and stay with their own family even through the times of eating catchup and crackers for dinner, or left our belongings in a pile or rubble by the side of the road after we were evicted from our home. We were together and together we endured the hardships.
21. March 2009 at 10:00 pm :
JT, having the ability to live off the land and care for your kids is something I admire. Many at or below poverty level could indeed care for their own kids if we were allowed to. Our great grandparents grew up without power, water, phone, car, and in many cases lived in a one room shack that was drafty, leaked and could possibly fall over if the wind blew too hard. Nobody stormed in and took their kids though, and our grand parents lived to have our parents and here we are today. They learned to endure those hardships and raise their children in spite of them.
When I lived in a bus with my toddler son I lived just fine till I was discovered and forced to move or lose my kid. We were fully able to use the earth for our survival. That is what our earth is for!
You don’t have to have electricity or running water, you don’t even have to have a solid wooden house. You can raise a child in a tent. Much of what we have is luxury..not truly necessity but unfortunately modern conveniences are now viewed as mandatory requirements for raising children so the poor are simply not allowed to do the best they can, they go into hiding most of the time and the situations are worse than if they were out in the open living in a plywood shack feeding their kids fresh carrots from a small patch they grew.
21. March 2009 at 10:04 pm :
Having worked with kids and there families as a mental health therapist, I can tell you that another sad reality is, that a lot of kids that live in poverty and some with mental health issues, wrongly end up in Correctional/Prison facilities. The kids end up there, because of being poorly supported, with either basic family support/love and/or because the various levels of Govenment do a poor job in providing the supportive mental health professionals required to educate and manage their behaviors.
To remove a child from a family unit(unless abuse is evident) is the prerequiste to a life of crime and even prison.
Never remove the child from their family/siblings, the financial supports and mental health services need to be invested in these kids, thus reducing the cost to all in the future and realizing a healthy productive citizen in the future.
21. March 2009 at 10:59 pm :
I agree Randy, very strongly that children should not be removed from their families unless there is evidence of actual abuse. Poverty should not be a reason to remove children. Poor parents often suffer right along with their kids, they give up their meals to make sure their kids eat and often pure love, understanding and support is given as the family suffers together. That is much different than a parent who eats a meal but does not feed the child a full fair share..that is neglect and a child who grows up neglected like that is sure so suffer emotional harm.
22. March 2009 at 10:56 am :
I was shocked when I read the blog. I didn’t know there were 750,000 thousand homeless children. I just found out we have 8,500 homeless children in Florida. In Tampa, Fl. , there have tent city. This is what there did for are homeless. Isn’t that sad. Were talking about CEO’s that made big money. I listen to 60 min. the other night, and they said, ” This recession will be over in about a year.” The banks went unstable, so with the stimilus package that went to the banks will get it right. Meanwhile, these people lost everything. They went in these tents with suitcase of clothes. I spoke to my husband on adopting. He screams at me because we can barely keep our heads above water. What can we do to help?
22. March 2009 at 3:04 pm :
Becky – yes so true – Basic Human needs should be protected by all who have been elected to govern us.
Christy..you are so right. Sadly, some of those with an MBAs think this intitles them to access huge bonuses and excessive pay raises on the backs of those who have invested their hard earned wages into retirement funds/401k’sor basic savings accounts.
It has always been my perspective, that until those in postions of trust and authority over financial run companies, can monitor and enforce quick justice for crimes of money theft..nothing will change. In fact watch, we will continue to see the theft of monies/bonuses etc….for years to come, because when some people have access to others monies, they justify their “right” to “help themselves”; this is called distorted thinking.
So, if you have monies – invest wisely and never allow others to have full control of your monies earned from your hard work.
This aforementiponed theft ties directly to kids, as it is their parents who are the intial vicitms and theft of parents’ monies impacts their ability to provide for their children’s basic human needs……………………so disgusting!
23. March 2009 at 4:39 pm :
My wife has been telling me everyday about a greedy corporation or person or agency that has taken advantage of some person or people and their money. Everyday it seems it happens and it all sounds like evil greed.
Why I say evil greed?
I think it was AIG that was handed unprotected bailout money. Gave severance packages to their CEO’s and filed bankruptcy. How is that helping the people who needed it? Only evil could bring a person to “steal” money away from those who are desperate: living in tents (here is Sacramento also), struggling to keep hours at their job or their job at all, feeding their families. Indirectly, that theft is taking the food from my children. That moronic unsecured donation to those who do not need it, but pleaded/begged and got it to suffice their EVIL GREED.
Even the protected bailout money is hard to get. My credit was just above 600 and I didn’t even pre-qualify for a small loan from anywhere (creditors or banks). I have never run up any credit cards, I keep a low limit and keep it revolving, paying as I spent. My credit was over 700 when I bought my house, but the economy dumped my house into foreclosure less than 2 years after I bought it and my family has suffered my struggle to protect our investment. So, here’s the predicament…
How are those who have been foreclosed on supposed to get that money into their lives to help them get back on their feet when they are disqualified because of their foreclosure? But yet, companies like AIG get bailout severance bonuses that tax paying citizens will suffer to repay~
23. March 2009 at 4:42 pm :
Here’s a song I love that should give hope to someone reading this blog:
April Sixth: Foster
Verse 1: To all the rest who have a mother and father
Who have given them a home and a name
Well, check before you walk away like you don’t need them
Cause some of us would kill just to have them for a day.
Well, mom and dad I only wish that you could see me
Following the footsteps of the man who started it all.
Chorus: Cause I’m fine. Living on no bed sheets. Holding on to all that’s mine.
Home just hasn’t yet arrived.
Said, I’m fine. Living in the back streets. Holding on to all that’s mine.
Home just hasn’t yet arrived. For me.
Verse 2: See there’s this boy who has all the answers
But I say that I don’t need them.
Cause I can find my happiness, close to my heart
And along the way in a different world, of a different time
Of a different man, you would come into the better years
The best years of your life!
Bridge: Well, we might meet in a different world, of a different time.
But, all that matters is that I’m alive. Yea, I’m alive~
23. March 2009 at 9:38 pm :
Sadly there is far too much greed and worse…evil greed in this world. People reaching out for help anywhere they can to keep from losing their homes, people reaching out for help to repair their homes for their own safety and to be in compliance with codes and ordinances….yet some walk away with a load of cash in their pocket probably walking right buy any one of us who struggling just to avoid losing what little bit we have.
It’s often those with the money to have nice homes and keep them up that call the code enforcement on people…it ruins their property value to live next to a rundown home. Nobody helps us though…just offer us 30 days to fix or pay a fine. One fine can cost you your home, just so someone’s fancy house doesn’t lose it’s value on the market.
I have no problem with people making money and buying nice things. I have a problem when they try to make things rough for the little guy struggling along just because our run down, shabby place that needs tons of repairs makes them look bad.
24. March 2009 at 11:16 am :
Greed is the word for it, you guys. By placing the oil on the stock market, it will contiue to go up causing a major depression. We will be back in the same place we started. The goverment needs to step in. You don’t see electric on the stock market. Thank God! The rich are in control again. It takes are commodities up. Actually, everything increases. Yet, the goverment keeps telling you to spend. Spend what? People are starving. What can we do?
24. March 2009 at 11:58 am :
Wow thanks JT for the song! Talk about total contentment! The singer appears to be quite satisfied despite a life of hardship. . .
26. March 2009 at 12:27 am :
In our town, homelessness is a hush hush subject, according to many city officials, there is not a homeless population….. It’s sad, because I personally know there is. And when it’s brought up, it is never taken seriously. It is so very frustrating.
26. March 2009 at 1:08 am :
Sherri, here in our town homelessness doesn’t exist either….but it does. People are shacked up on a buddies land using an old bar, old bus, broken down camper, old box trucks, tents, plywood shacks etc. Squatters live on hunting grounds. A person might sleep in his van, shower/cook and eat with the person whose land the van is parked on at night then go off to work. He’s houseless because his income simply isn’t enough to cover rent, but he can buy his how food and cover gas for the van. This is the more common form of homelessness. Many are working, just lost their homes or can’t afford to pay the ever increasing rent on their income. To keep a car you have to cover a monthly insurance as well as the gas, this eats into an income, then to have a house you have to have power and running water this is often more than a person can afford.
Everyone says go to school…get an education and you can get a good job. I know MANY who did go to school and are still paying student loans while not having a place of their own to live because people are simply not hiring or they are cutting hours, laying off, or firing often with no reason which is legal in South Carolina. These folks paying off old student loans are having their income tax returns and the past stimulus taken from them so they don’t even have that to secure a rental. Sad when these folks are regretting ever having gone to school and are not encouraging their children to go to higher education..rather encouraging them to pick up low end jobs because they are easier to get. Even if they don’t pay enough for you to enjoy your own rental, utilities and food, it pays enough to allow you to park your car on someones land and buy your own food. That is our homeless…they are not pushing shopping carts down the road picking out of public trash so they are not so visible, they are not an eyesore to the city so nobody really bothers with them.
26. March 2009 at 2:47 pm :
The devastation of poverty is very much alive….which in a sense of the word….shouldnt it be the children very much alive…..hummmmmm
It is so sad to see and hear of all the poverty even in our own back yards.
If we don’t help these children than who will? Honestly the power is in our hands, the preys in our hearts, and the answer is in the heavens……..
29. March 2009 at 4:13 am :
My mother was 1 of 11 children; her family was poor. They lived in shacks without windows at times and the “system” did nothing to assist them. No food stamps or government housing; when we have perfectly healthy men receiving those benefits today.
Being poor doesn’t make anyone a bad parent and Child Protective Services should make resources available to impoverished families…all of them! Everyone deserves the right to prove or disprove their intent; many weren’t given a chance at all.
Luckily my mother’s family was safe from the situation that arises from these circumstances, but many aren’t. I pray for the day we all will be treated with compassion and understanding.
29. March 2009 at 2:10 pm :
Thanks Margarita for joining in on this discussion! It’s wonderful that your mother managed to pull through those rough circumstances!
23. April 2009 at 12:37 am :
This is another subject … that i can so relate too….I remember when becky commented about that families are at rsk of loosing their children of they cant make ends meet. My response to that is life happens! It is not right or even fair for any one to loose their childrento foster care etc, no matter what.. unless there is proven abuse. CPS has MANY programs to help those in need … but they turn you down in a lot of cases. if a mom( or dad) is recieving child support they will turn her down for food stamps… even If the other parent isnt paying or is behind that child support. It used to not be like that… and it may differ from state to state… so I am going by what I was told and reasons I was turned down…
Plus parents are afraid now TO ask and apply for help because that puts them on their radar.At the time I applied I did not know that fact…
I have been told myself.. through the counselor my daughter has to talk too … that reason being that I am in the midst of a divorse I could loose custody because I am a considered a strugging single mom.I almost fell out of the chair when she told me that..and she backed it up by saying because:”I was also single.” That a household with children need two adults in it. I couldnt believe what I was hearing! When in fact they werent looing atthe “reason” I was struggling. She sid all the court wanted was th efacts.. and the fact is I was struggling. I asked ok… but when there is a “fact” how do you think that “fact” even got to be a a fact? Theres facts behind any fact.
So its just not in CPSs eyes anymore. It also being used in divorce situations…because CPS now purposly involves themself IN divorse cases and they arent supposed too. But it goes back to those “bonus’s.Its all motivated by money….and the parent(s) that finds themselves plunged into it doesnt have the resources to fight it. THAT is also why they do it.They know these parents cant fight back…but the parents try… I have read stories where the parent sells their home, their car etc and they still loose… b/c the system is set up to work against them now.
They want to take these children- put them in foster care and then give the foster care parents all the resources they will ever need to “make it.” When it should be the other way around… which is help the parents and supply them with the resources to make it.BUT if they do that… they dont get that bonus. The bonus is given for every child placed in a home by terminating the parents rights.This is why siblins often do not get placed in the same adopteive or foster home… they would only get one bonus if the children went to one home.. if you sperate the children you get that amount … 1 bonus for one child- 2 bonus’s for two…,and so on but all in seperate homes…
Even if a child goes into temp foster care … they will make the bio parent pay child support…
it doesnt go to the foster parent but to the state… when they are the ones that took the child in the first place… via CPS… its all about money…
Its a sad and twisted system now… it needs to be revamped and just like the one who commented about being a child therapist.. if you take a child from his home… his future is almost doomed…his /her life has been destroyed by ripping them from their parent(s ). they dont recover from it .. . neither does the parent….
It happens more than any one realizes….as amatter of fact there is a huge rally going to take place in DC I think in June… and its also going to be on CNN
99% of these parents who lost their children were because they were poor…
OR because someone had made an anonyomus call to CPS out of retaliation…which a lot of those calls wre made by a discruntal spouse in the midst of a divorse…
Its sad…and actually maddening…its just wrong….wrong… wrong… and yes they will take your child even if they catch wind you had your water cut off…they will haul you into Juvenile Court under “Child Deprivation”and you want be alowed to say a word! That is how Juvenile court works and its also a closed door court…so no one else can witness what goes on behind those doors.It sjust the parent, CPS a DA and the Judge…and of course the court appointed attorneythey assign you who is also in theeir court ” and will help you in no way what so ever… but just make it worse.
Theres definantly an elephant in our county….and I will defend any parentthat has lost a child by way of CPS… except when abuse has been involved and has been proven without a doubt.,…and when CPS is invloved in an abuse case.. that doesnt even mean true abuse is truly present. We will never know if it is abuse…until they do away with those bonus’s…because they take kids from the poor and leave the true abused ones with the abuser…that has been proven many many times… … go to Youtube and type in CPS and watch the videos… they will really open your eyes to what is really happening..espessially the ones where they medicate foster kids to keep them “quiet”… it will shock the socks of ya! To it hear from the kids themselves.. who are now adults.
I hope it somehow will make enough people demand change.Because the parents that CPS has destroyed or live in fear of them…cant do it all by themselves.
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