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Housing is a major barrier to reuniting foster kids with their parents
James Ayala, a children's social worker, takes calls to the Child Protection Hotline at the Metro North office of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services on Friday afternoon, April 8, 2016.
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Maya Sugarman/KPCC
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Housing is a major barrier to reuniting foster kids with their parents
Los Angeles County is expanding a foster care pilot that targets homeless parents and families in unstable housing.
The program provides short-term housing help to parents who could be reunited with their children, but for lack of a home. It also provides housing assistance to parents whose children are at high risk for removal.
Lack of housing is a growing issue for families involved in the child welfare system, said Ed Fithyan, division chief at the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services.
"Housing in L.A. is very difficult and people are stretched thin, especially the families we work with who are struggling often with other factors," he said.
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The problem is statewide. In a letter to state legislators, a group of organizations, including the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Californians for Safety and Justice, and Housing California, advocates said roughly 30 percent of children in foster care in California cannot be reunited with their parents because the family "lacks safe, stable housing."
"Housing remains one of the largest barriers to reunification," they wrote.
In response, the state authorized $10 million worth of "Bringing Family Home" grants to start and expand housing programs for such families, with about $2.5 million of that now headed to Los Angeles County.
The county has also invested its own resources in its housing program, planning on spending over $9 million to housing for family reunification over the next three years.
L.A.'s program officially got up and running in a pilot phase three years ago, but it's now poised to expand, under the county's comprehensive Homeless Initiative. DCFS plans to offer housing assistance to 200 families in the next year and 400 the year after.
The additional funds from the state will allow DCFS to also provide assistance to 390 families who are still together, but live in unsafe or unstable housing.
"We want to keep those children, hopefully, home with their parents, so we can house the parent and stabilize the families," Fithyan said.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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