Children. Reportedly America’s most prized possession.
However, it appears that that same rule doesn’t apply to foster children with behavioral issues.
Recently in L.A., youths have begun to be placed in unlicensed hotel rooms by the Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services. Instead of real homes, they are dumped inside of hotel rooms.
As of Wednesday, at least five foster children have been placed in hotel rooms. This isn’t just an issue in America, either. It’s happening in other countries, while more have placed them in former detention facilities and office buildings.
Unfortunately, while people like L.A. schools Supt. Alberto M. Carvalho are still “appalled” by this change, there just isn’t anywhere else to put them.
“We have no placement for them,” the County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, one of five elected officials who oversee one of the largest child welfare systems in the nation, said in an interview. She also said that, even though they weren’t happy with this agreement, changes in certain state laws had forced their hand.
After that attempt to temporarily place children in random buildings was deemed a brain-dead move(there was a wave of sexual abuse and assault in group homes across California), then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a landmark law in 2015 that would move the state away from group homes and make it a priority to place young people with relatives or foster families.
Even though that was considered one of the most significant reforms of the California child welfare system in years, there are still counties struggling to put children with behavioral issues when none of their relatives or any foster homes refuse to take them.
Barger stated that she believed that legislators should open facilities that would take children in.
“We need to push the state to rethink the issue surrounding licensed secure sites in the state of California,” said Barger.
However, it appears that that same rule doesn’t apply to foster children with behavioral issues.
Recently in L.A., youths have begun to be placed in unlicensed hotel rooms by the Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services. Instead of real homes, they are dumped inside of hotel rooms.
As of Wednesday, at least five foster children have been placed in hotel rooms. This isn’t just an issue in America, either. It’s happening in other countries, while more have placed them in former detention facilities and office buildings.
Unfortunately, while people like L.A. schools Supt. Alberto M. Carvalho are still “appalled” by this change, there just isn’t anywhere else to put them.
“We have no placement for them,” the County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, one of five elected officials who oversee one of the largest child welfare systems in the nation, said in an interview. She also said that, even though they weren’t happy with this agreement, changes in certain state laws had forced their hand.
After that attempt to temporarily place children in random buildings was deemed a brain-dead move(there was a wave of sexual abuse and assault in group homes across California), then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a landmark law in 2015 that would move the state away from group homes and make it a priority to place young people with relatives or foster families.
Even though that was considered one of the most significant reforms of the California child welfare system in years, there are still counties struggling to put children with behavioral issues when none of their relatives or any foster homes refuse to take them.
Barger stated that she believed that legislators should open facilities that would take children in.
“We need to push the state to rethink the issue surrounding licensed secure sites in the state of California,” said Barger.