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Work Study Report on Foster Care and Adoption Gets Postive Reaction from Youth Advocate

NADEZHDA PROKUDINA, 123RF STOCK PHOTO

  The head of a Kentucky child advocacy organization sees lots to like in a just released report on ways to improve foster care and adoption. The panel from the House of Representatives offered its suggestions Tuesday. 

Kentucky Youth Advocates Director Terry Brooks believes the panel’s recommendations could be an agenda for action rather than just another study left on a shelf. 

Brooks says it focuses on upfront prevention and substance abuse treatment. It also explores improving working conditions for social workers including better pay.

While much public attention is currently focused on high pension costs, Brooks says child welfare reforms shouldn’t be put aside. “If we don’t begin to address the child welfare issue, we are going to have a child welfare crisis that will be as impactful as the pension crisis is,” said Brooks.

The recommendations include developing a standardized process to ensure an efficient placement of a child in need of care. 

While the hope is to lessen the need for residential care, Brooks says those facilities will still be needed in Kentucky.

Stu Johnson is a reporter/producer at WEKU in Lexington, Kentucky.
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