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News Articles: Foster care

"No one understands it," says Sylvia Cunningham of how she and her husband, Brandon, holding Braxton, 2, got three of their children returned from foster care, including daughter Jordan, 17 (at left), but a court allowed one son to be placed for adoption because the Cunninghams had failed to pay part of the bill for foster care.

Tagged as: 

  • Investigations

In some states, an unpaid foster care bill could mean parents lose their kids forever

Some states allow children to be removed from their parents if they fail to pay the cost of foster care. But that can be hundreds of dollars a month, and it's often the poorest families who must pay.

January 19, 2023
|
By:
  • Joseph Shapiro
Kathy Stolz-Silvis was nine years old when her father died, making her and her siblings eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. But she didn't become aware of those benefits until decades later.

Tagged as: 

  • Investigations

Decades after foster care, she learned she was owed benefits. Where did the money go?

After reading an investigation by NPR and the Marshall Project, former foster youth are asking what happened to their benefits — and the government isn't helping.

July 22, 2022
|
By:
  • Alexandra Arriaga
A sign shows the entrance to the Department of Family and Children Services in Canton, Ga. on April 22, 2022.

Tagged as: 

  • Children's Health

Georgia aims to keep more kids out of foster care with new specialist teams

Georgia plans to launch a new program this summer intended to prevent children from entering the foster care system.

April 27, 2022
|
By:
  • Sarah Swetlik
Daisy Hohman was separated from her three children for 20 months when they were placed in foster care. When Hohman was reunited with her children, she received a bill of nearly $20,000 for foster care from her Minnesota county.

Tagged as: 

  • Investigations

States send kids to foster care and their parents the bill — often one too big to pay

In every state, governments charge parents for the cost of foster care when children are taken away. When that happens, NPR found, poor parents can't make ends meet, so families are kept apart longer.

December 27, 2021
|
By:
  • Joseph Shapiro,
  • Teresa Wiltz, POLITICO,
  • and 1 more
Family

Tagged as: 

  • Family

A ‘Christmas to remember.’ 6 siblings reunited through surprise adoption by Columbus couple

This past spring, the Turbevilles learned the juvenile court in Floyd County had terminated the parental rights of the biological mother and fathers for the six oldest siblings, allowing them to start the adoption process.

December 24, 2021
|
By:
  • Associated Press
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to make sure foster youth who receive Social Security benefits have access to those checks. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, co-sponsor of the motion, said the new directive is a "game changer."

Tagged as: 

  • Investigations

Los Angeles County Moves To Get More Money Into The Hands Of Foster Youth

Los Angeles County plans to ensure foster youth who get Social Security can use the money later, going against the common practice of child welfare agencies nationwide to use benefits to pay for care.

July 16, 2021
|
By:
  • Joseph Shapiro
LGBTQ advocates outside the Supreme Court in 2019

Tagged as: 

  • Law

Supreme Court Sides With Catholic Agency in LGBTQ Foster Care Debate

Though this case is not set to have an immediate impact on couples looking to adopt a child in Georgia, it highlights the push and pull between elements of the state government eager to push religious liberty legislation and local governments seeking to enshrine LGBTQ protections in local ordinance.

June 18, 2021
|
By:
  • GPB Newsroom
Stock image of cut out of family in enclosed hands

Tagged as: 

  • News

Georgia Establishing New Therapeutic Foster Care Program

Georgia is establishing a therapeutic foster care program to provide specialized treatment for children with an assortment of behavioral, mental and developmental challenges.

June 08, 2021
|
By:
  • Adyson Harrah
From left: Dwayne Tremble, son (adopted from foster care last year) Javontae Wright-Tremble and mother Mae Wright-Tremble.

Tagged as: 

  • Family

New Laws Aim to Make Adopting a Child in Georgia Easier

Adopting a child can be a complicated and even expensive process. But new laws are aimed at making it easier to adopt a child in Georgia, especially children in foster care.  

May 19, 2021
|
By:
  • Rickey Bevington and
  • Rikki Klaus

Tagged as: 

  • News

OST Full Show: Foster Care, Summerhill, HBCU Art Curator Program

Georgia’s foster care system is in crisis with the number of kids in state custody rising significantly. To getter a better understanding of the strain...

December 02, 2019
|
By:
  • Virginia Prescott ,
  • Amy Kiley ,
  • and 6 more

On Second Thought For Monday, November 26, 2018

It's National Adoption Awareness Month. Georgia's foster care system is in crisis. The number of kids in the state's custody rose 60 percent from 2010...

November 26, 2018
|
By:
  • Virginia Prescott ,
  • Amy Kiley ,
  • and 3 more

Why Georgia's Foster Care System Is In Crisis

Georgia's foster care system is in crisis. The number of kids in the state's custody rose 60 percent from 2010-2017. This year alone, 20,000 children...

November 26, 2018
|
By:
  • Leighton Rowell and
  • Virginia Prescott

On Second Thought For Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Atlanta’s Donald Glover has found a new level of success. He’s an actor, the creator of a hit show named after his hometown of Atlanta, and a rapper...

May 16, 2018
|
By:
  • Leah Fleming ,
  • Sean Powers ,
  • and 5 more
Effects of the opioid crisis can be seen throughout the U.S. In Georgia, widespread substance abuse has put thousands of children in foster care.

More Children In Georgia Wind Up In Foster Care As Opioid Crisis Spreads Through State

Georgia’s director of Family and Children Services says the opioid crisis is the main reason behind a recent surge in the foster care population. More...

May 16, 2018
|
By:
  • Taylor Gantt and
  • Leah Fleming

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