Dr. ELIOT. In order to secure current information, the Children's Bureau recently asked State public welfare agencies to provide available information on foster care needs in the States. Replies came from 50 of the 53 States.

In brief, they report as follows:

Forty-eight of the fifty States know of children needing foster care who are not now receiving it.

Almost universally the States report that there are children now in some type of foster care that is unsuited to their individual needs and may be damaging, or at least limiting, to their growth and development. Many States believe that children who should be removed from their homes are being left there because of inadequate foster care facilities and services.

In fact all States but one show need for additional foster care facilities. States frequently report an unevenness in the distribution of foster care facilities and services within their borders.

Outstanding limitations that are impeding the development of adequate foster care programs are lack of funds and lack of the necessary quantity and quality of personnel.

With the permission of the committee I would like to insert for the record a more complete summary of this information.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection it will be included in the record. (The statement is as follows:)

INVENTORY OF FOSTER CARE NEEDS OF CHILDREN-A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

INTRODUCTION

During 1955, the Children's Bureau received letters and inquiries indicating concern of many people as to what is happening to children needing care outside their own homes. On the basis of this information the Bureau, early in January 1956, wrote to all State welfare departments requesting facts based upon a quick inventory of foster care needs of children.

Replies have come in from 50 States. This statement summarizes some of the central findings from the inventory but is limited to only a part of the material received.

FINDINGS

1. Forty-eight of the fifty States report children needing foster care who are not now receiving such care. The States commonly identify various groups of children for whom specialized foster care services and facilities are needed. The groups most frequently identified as needing foster care are:

1

Number

The emotionally disturbed child_.

The adolescent and the older child_.

The mentally retarded child___

of States

The child of a minority group (most frequently mentioned are the Negro child, 15 States; and the Indian child, 11 States) -

The child with behavior problems (commonly the aggressive, predelinquent and delinquent child).

The physically handicapped child___.

27

24

2. Besides the children not now in foster care who actually need such care, the States almost universally report children now in some form of foster care that is unsuited to their individual needs and damaging their growth and development. All but 1 of the 50 reporting States identify such children. Following are the groups of children whose needs are most frequently reported:

1 Statistics presented in this statement are based on a count of States that specifically report a given need. Because a narrative type of response was requested, it is quite possible that some States did not mention all of their known needs.

Number of States

37

Children now in institutions who need foster family care-
Children now in foster family care or in institutions who need adoptive
homes__.

Emotionally disturbed children now in foster family care or in institutions
who need treatment in a residential treatment setting---.
Children, generally adolescents, now in foster family homes or institutions
who need group care (for example, group foster homes) –
Children now in State training schools for whom foster family care or group
care is needed__.

35

24

24

22

Children now in detention care or in jails who should be in foster family care or group care--

13

3. Forty-nine States report need for special types of foster care facilities to serve children; typically, a variety of facilities are mentioned by the reporting States. Following are the needed facilities most frequently identified:

Number of States

Foster family homes (29 States report the need for foster family homes
of the ordinary variety and 35 States need specialized foster family
homes)

Residential treatment centers for emotionally disturbed children_
Group facilities for adolescent youth....

Subsidized boarding homes___

Adoptive homes (commonly for the hard-to-place child such as the child of
a minority group, the handicapped child, the older child, etc.)—–
Institutions (typically for the mentally retarded and the mentally ill)
Temporary shelter___.

4. States frequently report an unevenness in the distribution of foster care facilities and services within their borders. Certain groups of counties, and in some places huge areas, are said by the States to be providing little in the way of services to children in need. By and large over the country there is some foster care service available from some agency, public or private, and very few counties in the Nation are reported to have no foster care services or facilities whatsoever. However, States point out that many counties do not have foster care facilities of their own but use those that are available elsewhere, often on an emergency basis. Also, in many States although service is available the extent and quality are deficient.

5. Many States report that children are being left in damaging home situations, and sometimes damaging foster care situations, because of inadequate foster care facilities. Babies are being left in hospitals and other institutions too long. Hospitals for the mentally retarded and mentally ill cannot discharge certain children because of the lack of foster care resources. Children needing treatment services are not getting them. Many older children are living in rooming houses and other unsupervised facilities because more satisfactory arrangements cannot be made. States report these and other dangers to the health and welfare of children and point to the deterioration that occurs when appropriate care is not made available early enough, including the possibility of leading children into delinquent behavior patterns.

6. States identify the major limitations in developing adequate foster care facilities and services as lack of finances and lack of personnel, both in terms of quantity and quality. The pressing need for qualified personnel is expressed by 45 of the 50 reporting States; to many of them this is perhaps the outstanding limitation in their existing programs of foster care. Thirty-two States specifically indicate that caseloads are too high to provide adequate service to children, parents, and foster parents. Twenty-three of the States also stated specifically that low board payments are an outstanding limitation in their present-day programs. Other limitations noted are the need for medical care for children in foster care in 12 States; dental care in 8 States; recreational allowances or services in 10 States; clothing in 6 States. Very commonly, also, States have listed needs for further research concerning their foster care needs, resources, and methods of care.

7. Among the social factors that are frequently reported by the States as affecting the current need for foster care are the following: Increased child populations, great mobility of the American population with families lacking close ties to relatives when problems arise, increased urbanization and move

ment away from rural areas, introduction or expansion of defense plants and military installations that create problems in the communities affected, increasing employment of mothers, economically distressed areas and areas of underemployment where social problems abound but where resources are greatly

limited.

Dr. ELIO. Amount authorized for annual appropriation:

The amount authorized for annual appropriations for grants to the States for child welfare services would be increased under these amendments from the present $10 million to $12 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1958, and to $15 million for each year thereafter. The need for this has already been described.

ALLOTMENT FORMULA

The allotment formula would be changed to make it consistent with the changes proposed concerning rural areas and foster care. Under the present law, after allotment of a flat amount to each State, allotment is made solely on the basis of rural child population under 18.

The bills provide: First, for allotment of a flat amount to each State; second, for the remainder to be allotted on the basis of

The financial need of each State for assistance in carrying out its State plan *** as determined by the Secretary, after taking into consideration the size of the population of each State under the age of 21 and the size of the rural population of each State under such age.

Under the formula the Bureau proposes to use in carrying out these provisions of the bill, grants to States would be made on the basis of the total number of children under 21 in each State, with rural children given twice the weight of children in urban areas, and on the basis of State per capita income. The attached table shows the allotments that would be available to the States under this formula, as well as the amounts the States would be required to put up for matching.

(The table is as follows:)

CHILD WELFARE SERVICES

Estimated allotments for fiscal year 1957 (compared with allotments for fiscal year 1956) and estimated State matching funds required for 1957 under proposed child-health and welfare amendments of 1956

Estimated allotments for fiscal year 1957 (compared with allotments for fiscal
year 1956) and estimated State matching funds required for 1957 under pro-
posed child-health and welfare amendments of 1956—Continued

1 Estimates of allotments for the fiscal year 1957 assume an appropriation of $10 million, of which 2 per
cent would be earmarked for special project grants. From the $2,800,000 to be allotted to States, each State
would receive a flat grant of $40,000. From the remainder of the funds to be allotted to States, the amount
available to each State would be an amount bearing the same ratio to this remainder as the difference be-
tween (1) the State's child population wit rural children given twice the weight of urban children; and (2)
the product of the State's unweigated child population and the State percentage, bears to the sum of such
differences for all States. For each State the State percentage is one-half of the ratio of the State per capita
income to the per capita income of the continental United States except Alaska. For Alaska, Puerto Rico,
and the Virgin Islands, the State percentage is 25 percent; for Hawaii, 50 percent.

2 Estimates of State matching funds required assume that each State will take up the full amount of its
estimated apportionment. The amount of matching for each State corresponds to the State share of the cost
of services under the State plan, between a maximum of 6633 percent of such cost, and a minimum of 33%
percent. The State share varies directly with State per capita income, with the State with per capit
income at national average being called upon to pay 50 percent of the total cost. Alaska and Hawaii each is
to pay 50 percent of the cost, and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 3313 percent.