This past October and November, Georgia Senator John Ossoff led the U.S. Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, of which he is chair, in hearings investigating claims of abuse and negligence by the Georgia Department of Family and Child Services (DFCS). The hearings are part of an investigation that has been ongoing for nearly a year.
The hearings brought forth stories from parents who say their children died because of mishandling of their cases by DFCS and from former foster children themselves who testified they had been abused or neglected while in state custody.
The subcommittee heard testimony that millions of dollars are being spent annually to house children in hotels or in DFCS offices. And as if hoteling were not bad enough, as I followed the hearings, one of the more startling revelations to me was juvenile court judges’ testimony that DFCS Commissioner had requested to house special needs children in juvenile detention because DFCS could not find placement for them.
Ossoff describes the hearings as a step toward reform, saying, “Change starts with the truth.” But, DFCS pushed back, claiming the hearings were one-sided and that they did not adequately acknowledge the complexities of the environment in which DFCS is operating.
I, along with many of my friends and family who work or volunteer in and around child welfare in Georgia, watched closely as the Ossoff hearings unfolded. As I alluded to above, I was greatly alarmed by some of the revelations. We can do better. We must do better. I hope with Senator Ossoff that these investigations will bring about positive change.
But also, I empathize with DFCS’ rebuttal. They are tasked with housing and keeping safe tens of thousands of children, all of whom have some degree of special needs. Caring for children is hard enough in a loving, stable family. It is literally impossible for a government to do it well. Government can provide funding and resources, but government cannot provide what children need to heal and thrive: love, stability, and human connection.
This leads me to a plea. I know pleading is uncharacteristic of a Murphy Center article, but this one is not only critical on a human level but is also of great policy significance, as highlighted by Senator Ossoff, and is ultimately an economic issue, as the welfare of today’s children becomes the welfare of tomorrow’s workforce.
As you craft your New Year’s resolutions, consider how you might get involved to make our child welfare system work better for the children and families it serves.
We are in dire need of foster and adoptive homes. In Georgia, there are over 11,000 children in foster care and only about 4,500 foster homes. There are close to 3000 children in Georgia waiting for adoptive homes. Here in Glynn County, we have around 100 children in care, and many of them are residing outside our county due to lack of available foster homes in our area. Will you say yes to a child in need of a home in 2024? For more information on becoming a foster parent in Georgia, call 1-877-210-KIDS.
If you cannot foster or adopt, will you commit to supporting others who do? Fifty percent of foster homes close within the first year of fostering, but 90% say they would remain open if they had support. Will you make a meal, provide respite childcare, or simply write an encouraging note to make it possible for someone else to say yes to a child in 2024? If you need a place to start, two local organizations that have served me well in my fostering journey are Hope 1312 Collective (hope1312co.org) and Haven Retreats (havenretreatsinc.org).
As Senator Ossoff is uncovering, our child welfare system is broken and needs an overhaul. And as anyone involved in the current system will tell you, that overhaul can begin with you. Here’s to new beginnings in the New Year – for our children.
And happy 3rd adoption anniversary this week to my precious son.
———– Dr. Melissa Trussell is a professor in the School of Business and Public Management at College of Coastal Georgia who works with the college’s Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies. Contact her at mtrussell@ccga.edu. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the College of Coastal Georgia.
Reg Murphy Center