Deseret News Editorial Board

Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010

Foster parents are a special ilk. They nurture other people’s children who have been removed from homes amid allegations of neglect and/or abuse.

With proper supports and efforts on the part of birth parents, many children are reunited with their birth families. There are also occasions when foster families adopt the children who have been in their care.

Presently, there are 2,800 foster children in state care. Many have intense needs, and they are spending longer periods in foster care. At the same time, amid overall budget cuts, the state has reduced foster care stipends to $14 a day for children who do not have special needs. These cuts took effect July 1.

It costs roughly $11 more — $25 a day — to kennel a dog along the Wasatch Front. How on earth are foster parents supposed to provide the basic needs of these children — food, clothing and other necessities — on stipends that have been rolled back to 2007 rates?

It’s a disgrace. State lawmakers need to find a way to restore this funding to previous levels. While those rates were far from what experts say would be sufficient, cutting these stipends while foster parents are pinched by the economic downturn places tremendous stress on their household budgets. Some foster parents may not be able to continue to provide this much needed care under this funding arrangement. That means state child welfare workers will have fewer options to place children or they will be pressing foster families to accept more placements.

Neither of these scenarios is in the best interest of children, some of whom are especially difficult to place because they have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse. As in-home options dwindle, more expensive residential options may have to be utilized.

It is understood that the economic downturn has also affected state revenues. Yet a recent commission empaneled by Gov. Gary Herbert found $10 million in savings could be derived from new efficiencies in state government in the short term.

Only a part of that would be needed to restore funding levels in foster care. Indeed, there are many pressing needs in state government. But foster care is arguably a unique case. Families make significant personal sacrifices to care for children in state custody. They should have adequate state support to take on this responsibility.

45 percent increase needed for care

Utah foster parents need a 45 percent increase in the state reimbursement rate simply to provide minimum care.

Sources: University of Maryland School of Social Work; National Foster Parent Association

By Carrie A. Moore

Deseret News

August 26, 2010 WEST JORDAN — The hugs, the “I love you’s” and the “Can I call you dad?” questions keep Jose Luis Gonzales working two jobs and his wife, Ruth, clipping coupons, shopping discount stores and stretching every nickel to provide for other people’s children in addition to their own.

After taking in more than 100 foster children during the past eight years, the husband and wife team who became U.S. citizens after emigrating from Argentina received their city’s “Spirit of Service” award Wednesday night.

West Jordan Mayor Melissa Johnson made the presentation during a City Council meeting, lauding the pair for their dedication to helping abused and neglected children dysfunctional homes.

Jose Luis, a former paramedic, and Ruth, who worked in her native Argentina as a nurse, told the Deseret News they originally came to the United States after an invitation from LDS missionaries to visit. They fell in love with Utah, and emigrated 10 years ago.

Shortly after they arrived, Ruth began providing child care because her English skills weren’t enough to allow her to work as a nurse. One of the parents of children she cared for told her about the foster care system, something unknown in Argentina, where abused and neglected children are either taken in by relatives or become homeless.

The couple has only one biological son and doctors told them they would never be able to have any other children of their own. They worked for 18 months to qualify as foster parents, undergoing criminal background checks at the Argentine embassy in Los Angeles as part of the licensure process.

To date, they have adopted three children through the foster care system, and are currently waiting to finalize adoption proceedings for a group of three siblings, ages 14, 10 and 6 months. They’ve housed children of all ages, from newborns through age 18, not only providing support for them, but for many of their parents as well, according to Christina LeCluyse, foster/adoptive family recruiter for the Utah Foster Care Foundation, who translated questions and answers during an interview.

One foster daughter who was 15 at the time she lived with the Gonzales family is getting married next month and they will be deeply involved in the wedding events, they said. The girl was eventually reunited with her own mother, whom the couple befriended and have helped advise.

They remain in frequent contact with most of the children that have lived with them as well as their parents, Ruth said, a dynamic the Foster Care Foundation encourages, according to LeCluyse. “They’ve ended up being great examples to many of the parents whose children are returned to them. They talk with them about discipline, communication and the importance of education. They keep an open door to all of them.”

Jose Luis works his day job from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a local fabric company, cutting cloth. He works a second part-time job from 5 to 7 p.m., arriving home to spend time with the family before bed time. Family activities are inexpensive, often including a video rental and popcorn. Ruth talks with the children about holidays, explaining that gifts won’t be plentiful, but love will.

The biggest challenge is “trying constantly to improve” how they meet the needs of so many different children and personalities, Jose Luis said. “Our ultimate goal is to try to improve the children’s lives.”

Ruth said they want to help children understand “there are adults who do love them.”

The couple said they accepted the award on behalf of “so many others who are doing good things.” The celebration was happy, but likely short-lived. School starts Thursday for the Gonzales children and there are clothes to prepare, backpacks to ready and lunches to pack.

“They’re a great example of how our foster parents see their role,” LeCluyse said. “They don’t seek any kind of recognition or praise.

“It’s just something that seems naturally a part of who they are, to help children.”

e-mail: carrie@desnews.com

By Carrie A. Moore

Deseret News

 Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010  SALT LAKE CITY — Pet owners pay more to board a dog for a day than the state of Utah pays foster parents to house, clothe and feed a child, and some say the latest cuts in reimbursement money will force willing parents out of the system.

A legislative committee heard earlier this week that many foster care families may be forced to leave the system because daily funding per child has been cut so deeply. The latest cuts took effect July 1, with the average payment per child per day now at $14 to $19, depending on age. Average pet boarding fees per day range from $20 to $25, according to Jennifer Gardner, president of the Utah Foster/Adoptive Families Association.

Gardner said foster families approached for this story declined to be identified, but one shared her story.

“Wendy” and her husband have been foster parents to children of all ages for 10 years, but when her husband lost his job a few months ago, she had to return to work. Even after he found another job, she had to keep working to pay the bills, and they continued to pay out more in expenses to care for their foster children than they received from the state.

They agonized over what to do and finally “had to ask that the children be removed from their home at the beginning of summer because they couldn’t afford to do it anymore,” Gardner said. “They’re devastated. It was their life, and they loved doing it. But when it came down to it they had to choose between providing for their own family and providing for foster kids.”

Nikki MacKay, director of retention services for the Utah Foster Care Foundation, told the state’s Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel that foster parents simply can’t provide for the needs of children at the current reimbursement rate.

“Many want to provide the service, but they’re reaching the point where they don’t know if they will be able to do it any longer,” she said. “Within the last two years, some of the reimbursement rates have been cut up to 10 percent.”

When asked how many families have stopped providing care, MacKay said there are no hard numbers at this point. “They didn’t necessarily stop providing care July 1. … These are the type of people that won’t just send these kids back. I do know of some who are no longer renewing their licenses (as foster parents) as of now.”

More than 2,800 Utah children are in foster care, a large percentage of them housed by 1,400 licensed foster care families who have been through a training program provided by the state.

Rep. Trisha Beck, D-Sandy, said she sympathizes with foster families, who try to incorporate the children they take in as part of their regular household routine. “I know there are additional costs that may not be anticipated. It would be really sad not to celebrate a child’s birthday or Christmas with that child” because the family budget won’t stretch far enough to cover those or other expenses, like after-school sports or regular school activities.

MacKay said even school supplies and clothing are often difficult for foster parents to afford at the current reimbursement rate.

Brent Platt, the new director of the Division of Child and Family Services, said when officials can’t place children in state custody with licensed foster care families, they do try to work with extended family members. But often the children are placed with proctor agencies in a group setting geared toward specific treatment approaches, even if they don’t require it. That’s more costly for taxpayers, he said.

Children ages 7 to 10 who have been seriously sexually and/or physically abused are constantly an issue for DCFS, he said. “It’s very difficult to find families for them,” because of the emotional issues involved. “That is so much work, and there’s not a lot of support for those who do it.”

MacKay said with the funding cuts, foster care reimbursement in Utah is back to the same level it was in 2007.

“The average cut was 3 percent across the board, but there are different levels of foster care,” she said. “Some levels (for children ages 6 to 15) weren’t cut at all, while others were cut almost 7 percent. I’m not sure how that determination was made.”

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden and the committee chairman, apologized to MacKay more than once during her testimony for the dismal reimbursement rate. He said it was one budget item that legislators will look at again as state revenues begin to rebound.

“Children do get a lot of sympathy from the Legislature,” Christensen said. “Their well-being is very important to us. But when you don’t have a nickel, you can’t spend a dollar, unlike the federal government.”

Gardner said foster parents will be approaching legislators not only to ask for more funding, but also to get their approval to allow foster children to qualify for food stamps.

“Then parents would not be taking as much out of their own pockets. … It would almost allow us to break even with how much we pay out to be foster parents,” she said.

e-mail: carrie@desnews.com

By Brooke Adams

The Salt Lake Tribune

August 24, 2010
As the newly appointed director of the Division of Child and Family Services, Brent Platt is still in the dream-big phase, the period when “hope to” hasn’t been squashed by fiscal realities, staff shortages and an endless stream of children from troubled families.

Platt’s dream plan has two parts: First, get services to families before DCFS has to get involved, and second, set up services and supports for struggling families in their own neighborhoods, delivered by people they already know and trust.

“It’s a community village approach,” he said.

Platt took over the state’s top child welfare post in April. The 18-year veteran began in corrections before moving to child welfare as a case worker, then associate regional director and finally western region director — overseeing Summit, Wasatch, Juab, Millard and Utah counties — before being selected as director.

He takes over at what can be viewed as both the best and worst of times for DCFS. The state’s child welfare system is finally out from under federal oversight but the economic downturn has placed it under significant pressure.

DCFS is down 111 full-time employees because of budget trims, but case counts are steady.

There are currently 2,800 children in state care — and more of them have greater needs and are spending longer periods in foster care. At the same time, state support for foster parents has rolled back to 2007 rates — $14 a day for a child who does not have special needs.

“These are folks who are providing services to these incredibly vulnerable kids — they are hurt, they are traumatized, they have all these issues — and they do a lot of shuttling and care on a dime,” he said.

While the ultimate goal is to keep families together, Platt also understands the pressing needs of foster parents, said Jennifer Gardner, president of the Utah Foster Adoptive Families Association.

When children have to be removed “his whole goal is to make sure those kids get their needs met in the best way possible,” Gardner said. “I’ve been very impressed. He seems to be very willing to listen to other people’s ideas, to talk it out, make decisions and act.”

Gardner said she has spoken to Platt about qualifying children in foster care for food stamps and subsidized day care and putting together a foster family “Bill of Rights” to ensure caseworkers and parents understand rights and expectations.

Of the children in foster care in fiscal 2009, about 22 percent were with kin while 32 percent were with unrelated families. Platt would like to see those numbers swapped.

“We need to do a better job of looking at relatives, how we can invite relatives to be part of this process,” he said.

Platt also wants DCFS to better partner with schools. When a child is removed from a home, teachers and school staff often remain the only constant, stable relationship in his or her life, he notes.

But he also sees schools as a convenient nexus for bringing together programs that may help keep families from ever getting involved with DCFS, an approach he helped facilitate in Utah County as western regional director.

“He brokered us getting in touch with people in the school system and other volunteers so we could train their staff in the Strengthening Families Program,” said Henry Whiteside, managing partner of the Salt Lake City-based program.

The program provides life-skills training for parents and children that has been shown to reduce problem behaviors and improve effective parenting.

“It was above and beyond anything his job would have required him to do. We’re lucky to have him in the new position with DCFS,” Whiteside said.

The program, now in its third year, operates on two tracks in Orem: One for families already involved in the court system, which DCFS oversees, and the other offered as a voluntary, school-based early intervention program run by what’s known as the “Community of Friends.”

DCFS participates with that group, which includes the PTA, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, the University of Utah, Wasatch Mental Health and Orem City. Among the collaborative efforts: At-risk families are offered passes to the city’s recreation facility as an incentive to complete parenting programs.

Grant Richards, a behavioral science professor at UVU involved in the Utah County project, said that of all the government leaders he has worked with, Platt is “the easiest there has ever been. He doesn’t care who gets credit. It is more on working with these individuals and families. He’s a very down-to-earth kind of guy.”

The “Community of Friends” program is now being expanded to Pleasant Grove, Platt said.

“It’s sort of a grass-roots effort that has taken off,” he said. “Those are the things we need to see happening across the state. What we can’t do is expect people to solve problems if there aren’t resources” for them to draw on.

“Utah has a great child welfare system,” he said. “We’re definitely top tier. But we still need to do more to involve the community.”

brooke@sltrib.com

By Melinda Williams, Davis County Clipper

Aug. 19, 2010

BOUNTIFUL — In January, the LDS Relief Societies of the Bountiful Val Verda Stake, together with the community began an ambitious project of creating 800 care bags for children entering foster care.

Last weekend they achieved their goal, filling 812 bags for children living between the Utah-Idaho border and North Salt Lake.

Goal or not, it’s not enough. Barbara Kime, Val Verda Relief Society President hopes that now, others — families, other churches, community organizations, will pick up the slack, because “once these bags are gone, these children going into foster care won’t be getting them,” and their contents can mean so much to a child who often feels alone and scared going into foster care. “My heart’s desire is to make the project run on a continuing basis,” Kime said.

Information on putting together foster care bags can be found on the Web at www.fostercarebags.com. Kime said the bags don’t have to contain the same items as the one put together by the Val Verda Stake, but they should have comfort items, like a blanket and stuffed animal, to make a transition into foster care easier for kids.

Kime said volunteers who have had foster children told her most came into the system with nothing, and “having a care bag would have meant the world to them.”

Each care bag contained a teddy bear, a football or soccer ball (for boys) and a doll (for girls), and a fleece blanket. There were also books, pillowcases, socks, hygiene items and snacks. About 175 people of all ages worked to fill the bags.

The bags were presented later that day to Mindy Lundgreen at the Christmas Box house in Ogden, for distribution to children in northern Utah. Some 700 children were placed in foster care in northern Utah last year, and there are 2,800 children in foster care in Utah. The participating wards stepped up to donate money and items, and local businesses pitched in.

Both Smith’s and Wal-mart donated cash and offered discounts on needed items. “We couldn’t have done it without their support,” Kime said.

Barnes and Noble gave 500 books, one woman gave 375 teddy bears herself. Another donated fabric for pillowcases which had belonged to her sister who recently passed away.

Others who contributed included: Bountiful Music, Slim Olson’s, area hotels which donated hygiene items, BP in Bountiful,Commerce Real Estate Solutions, ZeroRez carpet cleaners, City-wide Home Loans, Top Hat Video, patients of chiropractor Troy Giles and the Mom’s Club of Bountiful, which provided one ward’s contribution of fleece blankets, individual donors, and a $41.04 donation from the 3rd Ward Primary children. Kirham’s and Colonial flag donated fabric used to make the bags.

Each ward had a project leader and members throughout the stake helped.

Kime heard many sweet and touching stories as the bags were filled.

One woman told her sons they should hug each bear as they put them in the bag, so the young recipient “would feel the love,” the two boys felt for those receiving the bags. “They were squeezing those bears really hard,” Kime said.

One of those boys also told a volunteer she shouldn’t put the bear face down in the bag, she was to let the head of the bear be out of the bag so the bear could see who he was being given to.

mwilliams@davisclipper.com

© clippertoday.com 2010

By Sara Stevens- South Valley Journal

Mike Millgate was not looking for any type of recognition when he and his wife, Shelly, decided to help children in foster care situations. So, in June he was very surprised to learn that he had been chosen as Foster/Adoptive Dad of the Year for the South Valley region by the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

Millgate was nominated by Shelly and several other family members who had been impressed by his capacity to selflessly take care of a child he might not have with him in the long run.

“He has all of the qualities that represent a good father,” Shelly Millgate said. “I nominated Mike because I’ve been able to see firsthand what his love and support have done for the kids. Once we made the decision to help [children], we made it all about them.”

“When taking nominations, one of the things we ask is, ‘how do they spend time with children?’” Utah Foster Care Foundation Community Relations Manager Deborah Linder said. “With foster care it is very important that it be a team effort, the children often need a strong male role model.”

The couple chose to become involved in the foster care system after a six-year long struggle with infertility.

“We were dealing with the issues, trying to decide what to do as far as infertility injections or private adoption,” Mike Millgate said. “One day I came home and said, ‘I want to help kids, there are kids out there that need to be helped.’”

The Millgates have had two children placed with them, the first child for two and a half months before being reunited with his mother. The second child, Ian, 18 months old, was three weeks old when first placed with the Millgates and they have since been able to legally adopt him.

“The adoption was finalized on May 25,” Mike Millgate said. “The court system decided on that date, which was also our 10th wedding anniversary. We started our family on that date and added to our family on that date. It was also nine months from the day we decided to join the foster care system that our son was born. We knew we needed to be parents and we are really happy to open our home to share with children, share with them love they need for the time they need to help stabilize their lives.”

One of those who nominated Mike Millgate for this award, Ian’s biological mother, said in a letter to Utah Foster Care Foundation: “I never thought a human being could love a child as much as he loves the son that I have given up to him. He is a sincere and loving man. One of the most amazing people I have ever met in my entire life.”

Mike Millgate has been training for a Park City 26.2 mile marathon on Aug. 21 to raise awareness of the foster care system. The Millgates are also discussing the possibility of inviting more children into their home in the future.

The Utah Foster Care Foundation is a private, non-profit organization contracted by the Division of Child and Family services. It takes 32 hours of training and the ability to pass a criminal background check to become a foster parent in Utah.

Caption: Mike Millgate has opened his home and his heart to children in need of stability. Pictured from left are Kelly Peterson, Utah Foster Care Foundation CEO, Millgate and Brent Platt, Utah Division of Child and Family Services director.

If all the child abuse in Carbon County since March were to happen on one day, it would be reported as a tragedy, a disaster, and rescuers would be called heroic. But since the process of taking children into protective custody and placing them in foster care is quiet, confidential, and case-by-case, the 30 youngsters saved over the two-month period don’t rate headlines.

Until today.

Tammy Ardohain, a resource family consultant, and Savannah Leonard, who works in Child Protective Services, talked about the situation and what they and their colleagues do about it.

Ms. Leonard said that the overwhelming cause of child abuse is drug abuse by parents. “We have found traces of meth in kids’ hair,” she said. In addition to methamphetamine, other drugs of parental choice include heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and pain pills. “Pain pills. It seems that a lot of people in Carbon County have bad backs,” she noted. Some people are even crushing and snorting their pain killers these days.

Drugs often lead to violence against children, neglect, and sexual abuse. Ms. Leonard says that many instances of abuse come from visitors who drop by to buy, sell or share their drugs.

An investigation begins with a tip from a relative, friend, neighbor or teacher – someone who notices unusual traffic at odd times around the house, or kids running around at all hours. Ms. Leonard explained that Protective Services works closely with local police on gathering information, but that her job is not to make arrests. “We try to do what we can to prevent removal of children,” she said.

That could mean counseling, either voluntary or court-ordered, to correct the problem of substance abuse or domestic violence.

If the remedial measures don’t work, then Protective Services will get a warrant to remove the children from the home. That’s when the case moves to Ms. Ardohain’s division and the search for foster care begins. She said the preferred alternative is to find a family member of the parents who is willing and qualified to take custody. After that, it is a matter of finding a foster home somewhere close.

“We work really hard at keeping siblings together,” Ms. Ardohain said. “It’s hard enough on them without being split up.” That can get complicated, because occasionally as many as four children must be accommodated at once. However, their success rate is good. She has yet to see a case of brothers or sisters being broken up in Carbon County.

That does not mean that the children stay in Carbon County. The availability of qualified foster care here is “not even close” to meeting the need, the women said. About eight or nine of every ten children taken into protective custody must be settled out of town. “There is a lot of travel involved because of that, because I have to do visits to follow up. It makes it difficult for parental visits, too.”

Both women earned psychology degrees, Ms. Ardohain from Utah State University, Ms. Leonard from Weber State University. The education provides the intellectual competence for their work, but it does not provide perfect immunity to the emotional pressures of the work.

“Certain cases stick with me. They consume me,” Ms. Leonard said. Ms. Ardohain, who spent 10 years as a case worker and three years in her current job, agrees.

The second annual fun run was held on Saturday as families and children came together to help raise money for the Utah Foster Care Foundation.

The walk started at the Peace Gardens and ended at Washington Park with activities, games and food for everyone who participated.

There are over 270 children in foster care in Eastern Utah and the goal of the day was to walk 270 miles total as a group, one for each child in foster care.

Lacey Henry, a recent college graduate from CEU could be a poster child for ambition and the determination required to better yourself. What makes her story so special is that Henry was in the Utah Foster Care System for four years.

At 14, she was placed with her first foster family, a single mother with no other children. After some time a foster sister was placed in the woman’s care as well. Living in that home for a year was difficult for Henry.

“It was very strict, I couldn’t do much. It wasn’t even in the plans for me to ever get my license,” Henry said. It was during that time that she decided to become involved with cross-country as a way of having time to herself. She also became involved with the foster care program in the state.

After a situation arose, forcing her foster mother to move, she was placed in a home in Ferron. It was at this house is where her life turned into something positive. Living in a two parent home with four siblings, Henry was opened up to new possibilities. It was there that college was first talked about. “At 15 I never thought about college and they started talking about it. I’m in a lot better situation than I was,” she said.

“I have a strong desire to better my situation, I want to pursue something in the medical field because I want to help people,” Henry said.

That family allowed her to be like any other teen. She was able to start working so she had her own money. She received her license and currently has her own car. She was able to hang out with friends. All of these things were done in an effort to make her life easier and live like any other child would. “I think if you pull the reigns then children will end up rebeling, but if you give them freedom as they go along things will turn out better,” she said.

Kobi Marchello, area representative with the Utah Foster Care Foundation said, “I think that it is smart for foster parents to allow the children to act like normal kids. There is a fine balance between keeping them safe but giving enough freedom.”

Being involved with the foster care program, Henry was able to attend several conferences as well as one in Washington D.C.

“It was awesome, in every state the rules are very different and it was interesting to compare notes with other kids,” she said.

One thing that set Henry apart from other foster children is the desire to make the most of her situation that she possesses. “Make the most of your situation, you can’t always be sad or down on yourself. In the end you will benefit from it,” she said.

“Instead of seeing it as negative she really got involved and took everything she could from the experience. She has been doing really well on her own getting things like an apartment and car. She works to support herself. She received a scholarship for her grades and FAFSA from the government,” Marchello said.

All isn’t roses and rainbows in foster care though. Transitioning between homes can be very stressful for all involved. Having parents who are strict and don’t allow children to act like normal kids can take its toll too. Henry was lucky in the sense that she moved from Carbon to Emery county but the reality is that there are not enough foster parents in Castle Country to take care of the need that is there. Older children tend to move around more than the younger ones do. In high school that can be detrimental to to the kids. “A lot of kids age out (turn 18) and end up pregnant or in trouble,” Henry concluded. A drive to better yourself is necessary to the successful completion of school and the program, according to Henry.

“There are a variety of foster kids, the more stable their environment is affects how they will come out,” Marchello concluded.