Posts Tagged: homelessness

Child Welfare Budget Priorities

The rate for housing subsidies for those who have experienced foster care hasn’t been increased since 1988! This year’s #NYSBudget must modernize the subsidy by raising the rate, indexing it to inflation, and including youth up to age 24. Many young people that leave foster care without any family ties, or “age out”, are faced with homelessness. This year’s #NYSBudget must include S.2038-A/A.2525-A to modernize preventive housing subsidies and support youth who experienced foster care.

Stuck at … Read More

Broke and Alone — It wasn’t love that made me open the door to my daughter’s unstable father

When I was 23 and my doctor told me I was pregnant, I put my head down and burst out crying.

A piece of me felt grateful that God chose me to bring life into the world. But I also felt angry, ashamed, selfish and scared. The father and I had only been dating a short while. Plus, I had a job but he didn’t, and neither of us was financially secure.

Still, when my boyfriend told me that … Read More

No Room for Families — How the housing crisis contributes to kids entering foster care

Worrying about where your family will sleep while fearing the removal of your child is a burden that parents increasingly carry. In 2015, more than 200,000 families with children experienced homelessness in this country.

Here, Ruth White, Executive Director of the National Center for Housing & Child Welfare, explains how housing insecurity makes families more likely to face child protective investigations, have their children removed, and face delays in reunification.

Q: How do homelessness and … Read More

When Ends Don’t Meet — Lack of affordable housing can affect the strongest families

When my son Remi was 2, he was taken from me for three years. I felt so much hate and fear.

When he returned home, I was ready to create a loving, stable environment for him. I wanted to know that he was safe. I wanted him to have a yard to play in. I wanted him to have space to have fun.

Over time, my husband and I got more financially secure. When we saw Remi … Read More

Safe Inside — I’m helping my son feel secure despite difficult conditions

Sara and her son

Last year I reunified with my son, Aaron, who spent his first two years in foster care. Aaron is now 4 years old with curly brown hair, brown eyes and a smile that makes everyone want to smile, too. Aaron foster family had lots of money for clothes, toys, everything. When we reunified, I thought Aaron would be unhappy not having a large TV with cable and tons of fancy … Read More

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