RICHMOND, Va. — Only 7% of Virginia’s foster children are placed with relatives, according to a new study — well below the national average of 32%.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation tracked changes in foster care in each state from 2007 to 2017. For Virginia, the data snapshot contained some good news: There were fewer children in foster care, and fewer foster children were placed in group homes.
But many experts say that ideally, foster children should be placed with relatives — and on that measure, Virginia did not make any progress over the 10 years.
“We want for children to have a family that is their family forever — whether it’s their family of origin or if their foster family turns into an adoptive home,” said Allison Gilbreath, a policy analyst at Voices for Virginia’s Children, a nonprofit advocacy program.
Continue reading at https://wtkr.com/2019/04/19/virginia-trails-nation-in-placing-foster-children-with-relatives/
