RESPONSE TO THE PEW COMMISSION ON FOSTER CARE IN AMERICA
Our Survey
Pew Commission Survey
Are you registered to vote?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Yes
85 %
not available
No
15 %
not available
First in general, how familiar would
you say that you are with the issue of foster care?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Very familiar
85 %
12%
Fairly familiar
10 %
21%
Only somewhat
familiar
5 %
40%
Not at all familiar
0 %
27%
Not sure
0 %
And from what you know, do you have a
favorable or unfavorable opinion of foster care in your community?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Very favorable
0 %
21%
Somewhat favorable
0 %
35%
Somewhat
unfavorable
15 %
10%
Very unfavorable
85 %
6%
Not sure
0 %
28%
Why do you feel that way about foster
care in your community?
What are some of your positive impressions of foster care in your
community?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Every child needs a
good home
20 %
16%
Good caring loving
parent involved
15 %
11%
Experience of
family member or friend
40 %
8%
A good thing and
good idea people should do it
0 %
3%
Its needed and
necessary a necessity
25 %
2%
What are some of your negative
impressions of foster care in your community?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Some in it for
money do not care for the kids
25 %
6%
Child abuse or
neglect children treated poorly
25 %
5%
Should screen
foster parents better
0 %
3%
kids get lost in
the system not enough follow up
5 %
2%
Criticism of
government the court or foster care
45 %
2%
Do not know or no
response
0 %
29%
How much have you seen, heard. or read about the issue of foster care in
the past two or three months?
Response Percent
PEW Response
A lot
90 %
6%
A fair amount
5 %
16%
Only a little
5 %
37%
Nothing at all
0 %
41%
Based on your knowledge of the foster
care system, would you say that this system needs a complete overhaul?
Response Percent
PEW Response
needs quite a few
changes or complete overhaul
100 %
71%
needs only some
minor changes
0 %
24%
is fine as it is
and needs no changes
0 %
5%
Where do you get most of your
information about foster care?
Response Percent
PEW Response
from the news and
other media
10 %
56%
from the
experiences of friends and family
35 %
26%
from your own
personal experiences
35 %
10%
from some other
source
20 %
8%
In your opinion, which of the
following reasons BEST describes why most children are placed in foster
care?
Response Percent
PEW Response
taken away from
their parents because of abuse
10 %
37%
because their
health and safety needs are neglected
20 %
36%
parents decide they
cannot afford to raise the children
5 %
7%
parents are
deceased
0 %
2%
because the
children have a physical or mental disability
15 %
1%
Not sure
50 %
17%
Which of the following reasons BEST
describes why most children end up leaving foster care?
Response Percent
PEW Response
They stay in foster
care until they are old enough to be legally independent
20 %
21%
They go to live
with a blood relative other than their parents
0 %
20%
They are reunited
with their parents
0 %
18%
They are adopted
5 %
9%
They run away or
otherwise cannot be found
10 %
9%
All
65 %
11%
Not sure
0 %
12%
How much confidence do you have that
the Judges making the decisions about placing children in foster care
and overseeing the care of those children once they are in foster care
have the resources, skills and time they need to make the right
decisions for these children?
Response Percent
PEW Response
A lot of confidence
0 %
8%
A fair amount of
confidence
0 %
35%
Only a little
confidence
20 %
37%
No confidence at
all
80 %
16%
Not sure
0 %
4%
How much confidence do you have that
the Caseworkers making the decisions about placing children in foster
care and overseeing the care of those children once they are in foster
care have the resources skills and time they need to make the right
decision?
Response Percent
PEW Response
A lot of confidence
0 %
10%
A fair amount of
confidence
0 %
32%
Only a little
confidence
20 %
37%
No confidence at
all
80 %
15%
Not sure
0 %
6%
As you may know, judges and the
courts have the primary responsibility for overseeing the foster care
system across the country, including decisions about whether children go
into foster care, or whether they can return home. If you knew that, in
many cases, judges have very little time to devote to individual foster
care cases and very little information about the children and their
families to make these decisions, would you be:
Response Percent
PEW Response
Extremely concerned
100 %
39%
Very concerned
0 %
38%
Somewhat concerned
0 %
17%
Not too concerned
0 %
3%
Not at all
concerned
0 %
2%
Not sure
0 %
1%
If there were a report of child abuse
or neglect made against a person who is a member of a racial or ethnic
minority, do you think that the child would be more likely to be placed
in foster care?
Response Percent
PEW Response
More likely
65 %
35%
Less likely
15 %
8%
No difference
either way
20 %
47%
Not sure
0 %
10%
Which of the following BETTER
describes why you think most people become foster parents? Do you think
that most people become foster parents
Response Percent
PEW Response
because of their
concern for children
5 %
42%
because of the
financial payments that they receive
55 %
29%
Both equally
40 %
24%
Not sure
0 %
5%
FACTUALS: Now I am going to ask you a
few questions for statistical purposes only.
How old are you?
Response Percent
PEW Response
18-24
0 %
7%
25-29
0 %
8%
30-34
15 %
9%
35-39
5 %
11%
40-44
15 %
11%
45-49
20 %
10%
50-54
40 %
9%
55-59
0 %
8%
60-64
5 %
6%
65-69
0 %
5%
70-74
0 %
6%
75 and over
0 %
7%
What is the last grade that you
completed in school?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Grade school
0 %
1%
Some high school
0 %
5%
High school
graduate
5 %
28%
Some college, no
degree
40 %
17%
Vocational
training/2-year college
10 %
10%
4-year
college/bachelor’s degree
30 %
22%
Some post-graduate
work, no degree
5 %
3%
2-3 years
post-graduate work/master's degree
5 %
10%
Doctoral/law degree
5 %
2%
Not sure/refused
0 %
2%
Do you have any children under age 18
currently living in your household?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Yes
60 %
36%
No
40 %
62%
If you do not have children in the
home now, have you EVER been the parent or guardian of a child under age
18 who lived in your home with you?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Yes
85 %
54%
No
15 %
44%
Are you currently single and never
married, married, separated, widowed, or divorced?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Single
15 %
21%
Married
40 %
55%
Separated
5 %
2%
Widowed
20 %
9%
Divorced
15 %
10%
Other
5 %
1%
Not sure/refused
0 %
2%
In terms of the way you think about
social and political issues, would you consider yourself to be liberal,
moderate, or conservative?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Liberal
20 %
21%
Moderate
25 %
37%
Conservative
45 %
35%
Not sure
10 %
7%
Regardless of how you may be
registered, how would you describe your overall point of view in terms
of the political parties? Would you say that you are mostly Democratic,
leaning Democratic, completely independent, leaning Republican, or
mostly Republican?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Mostly Democratic
20 %
27%
Leaning Democratic
5 %
10%
Completely
independent
30 %
21%
Leaning Republican
25 %
10%
Mostly Republican
15 %
25%
Not sure
5 %
7%
Are you from a Hispanic or
Spanish-speaking background?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Yes, Hispanic
0 %
7%
No, not Hispanic
100 %
91%
Not sure/refused
0 %
2%
What is your race--white, black,
Asian, or something else?
Response Percent
PEW Response
White
95 %
72%
Black
0 %
13%
Asian
0 %
2%
Other
5 %
3%
Not sure/refused
0 %
3%
If you added together the yearly
income of all the members of your family who were living at home last
year it would be?
Response Percent
PEW Response
Less than $10,000
5 %
5%
Between $10,000 and
$20,000
25 %
8%
Between $20,000 and
$30,000
20 %
11%
Between $30,000 and
$40,000
15 %
12%
Between $40,000 and
$50,000
25 %
11%
Between $50,000 and
$75,000
5 %
16%
Between $75,000 and
$100,000
5 %
8%
More than $100,000
0 %
7%
The following questions are not on
the original survey. They have been compiled with permission using
information from various resources such as websites, letters to our
Editor and books. Some of which are: Profane Justice by Suzanne Shell,
American Family Rights Association, Children and Family Services
Website, the Foster Care Manual, and many others.
Have you ever had a child in foster care?
Response Percent
Yes
60 %
No
40 %
In your own opinion do you feel that
Foster Care today could be improved simply with more funding?
Response Percent
Yes
0 %
No
100 %
Do you feel that Children and Family
Services misuse the Foster Care System?
Response Percent
Yes
100 %
No
0 %
Don't know
0 %
Do you feel that Children and Family
Services misuse funding which is targeted for care of children in the
Foster Care System?
Response Percent
Yes
95 %
No
0 %
Don't know
5 %
In your opinion what would happen if
a foster child lodged a complaint against his foster placement?
Response Percent
Retaliation by
Foster Parent
5 %
It will be
minimized or covered up
15 %
Retaliation by
Children and Family Services on either the child or natural parent
0 %
All the above
65 %
Nothing would
happen
15 %
Something would be
done
0 %
Have you or anyone you know had to
launch an investigation?
Response Percent
Yes
75 %
No
25 %
If you answered yes to the previous
question what were the results of the investigation?
Response Percent
There was
retaliation or retribution by a foster parent
0 %
There was
retaliation or retribution by a Family Service caseworker or supervisor
15 %
The complaint fell
on deaf ears or hidden from the Case Judge
15 %
All of the above
45 %
Don’t know/Not
sure/Answered no
25 %
Do you agree with this statement? A
separate and independent entity should be set up to investigate foster
care?
Response Percent
Yes
100 %
No
0 %
Don't know
0 %
Would you agree with this sentence?
Foster homes and CPS are not held to the same standards of safety,
nurturing and care that biological parents are. Child protection laws do
not apply to them.
Response Percent
Yes
95 %
No
0 %
Don't know
5 %
From what you know or your own
experience, do you feel that once a child is returned from Foster Care,
the family will receive the services that are available to them under
funds supplied by the state, to Children Family Services or were court
ordered?
Response Percent
Yes
5 %
No
90 %
Don't know
5 %
Do you agree with the following
statement? All parents who have had their children taken will confirm
that the child they get back is not the same child that was taken.
Response Percent
Yes
100 %
No
0 %
Don't know
0 %
Do you agree with the following
statement? If your children are in foster care, when they return, you
will have a whole new set of problems to deal with.
Response Percent
Yes
95 %
No
0 %
Don't know
5 %
As you can see those who took this second survey were as
follows.
As you can see, our respondents were well educated.
and well within the same range as those polled in the first survey by the
Pew Commission
They were very familiar with the foster care system.
Have taken the time to be informed respondents to this survey.
Are very unfavorable of the Foster Care system
Do not agree with the government's way of handling the Foster Care System
Feel the system needs a complete overhaul
American's have little or no confidence that the Judges making the
decisions about children in foster care and overseeing the care of those
children.
Little or no confidence in the Case workers to make decisions for these
children in care.
And are all concerned that Judges have very little time to devote to
individual foster care cases and very little information about the children and
their families while making these decisions.
55% of American's surveyed felt that Foster Parents were more concerned
with financial incentives over care factors in becoming a foster parent.
They came from mostly conservative households
They feel that Children and Family Services misuse the Foster Care System
and the funding meant for the Foster Care System.
They feel there is no Checks and Balances to complaints lodged against
these systems,
have had experience in this matter
and have proof that this system is broken.
They do not feel that Children and Family Services care for our children
properly.
That Children and Family Services are misusing funding they already
receive.
That once a child is returned from this broken system they are in most
cases suffering from Post Traumatic Syndrome or other emotional maladies,
and usually are worse then they were before Children's Services created
these issues for their families.
When asked if they would support more funding to fix the broken system,
there response was an overwhelming concern that funding is not the answer.
REFORM IS!
Other pertinent surveys we have taken this year include the following
results:
SHOULD CHILDREN'S &
FAMILY SERVICES BE INVESTIGATED FOR CHILD ABUSE AND DESTRUCTION OF
FAMILIES?
Absolutely
they are destroying families!
(95.8%)
Yes
(2.6%)
No
(1.6%)
Not
Sure
(0.0%)
Have you suffered
financially from CPS's abusive practices?
No
(6.8%)
Less
than $1000.00
(5.1%)
Less
than $2000.00
(6.0%)
$2000.00-$5000.00
(12.8%)
$5000.00-$10,000.00
(13.7%)
$10,000.00-$20,000.00
(24.8%)
We
lost our home.
(5.1%)
We
lost our home and vehicle.
(4.3%)
We
lost everything and are homeless!
(0.9%)
We
lost everything, are homeless, and still pay support to them!
(0.9%)
We
lost it all. They care only about holding our children hostage!
(19.7%)
Our poll to "SAVE OUR FAMILIES FROM CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES (CPS)
SYSTEM AND AUTHORITY ABUSE!" has had over 550 signatures of abused
families-just in a few
months alone.
Our UNITED STATES MAP OF ABUSERS has names and locations of over 200 abusive Government Social
Workers within the Children and Family Services.
We will not publish those in fear of retaliation to our families.
