The Challenge > Opportunity

A significant opportunity exists to dramatically improve and positively impact the critical problem of child welfare in California. Solving this problem to date has been a huge challenge, and solving it going forward will not be easy. However, there is a clear and proven way to address the problem:

Providing foster children with a permanent and loving family dramatically increases the chance they will grow up to be responsible adults, citizens, workers, and parents. It also increases the probability that as adults, these former foster children will create permanent and loving families. By breaking the cycle of the disadvantaged child, the problem of child welfare in California may begin to be addressed.

For this to occur, many things must fall into place. First, communities must be aware that a significant problem exists. Next, community agencies must be able to identify and educate potential foster and adoptive parents and suport relative caregivers in an effort to provide permanent and loving homes. Then, community agencies must be able to identify, protect, and place at-risk children in safe and loving homes. They must also be able to provided the services necessary to support the unique challenges encountered as the child grows into an adult. These services must be consistent and sustainable so that permanency is established and maintained through the creation of "forever families." Finally, community agencies must have the human and financial resources necessary to accomplish these tasks.