Foster Care for Children Speech or Presentation

Foster Care for Children - Speech or Presentation Example A5.Independent former foster youth between the ages 18 and 21 are eligible to receive certain medical benefits to which they are legally entitled and desperately need. Research has shown that independent former foster youth have acute health care needs. I strongly feel that given these health care needs, it is appropriate that under current law, these youth are eligible for Medi-Cal by virtue of their status as former foster youth. Despite their eligibility, however, these former foster youth are required to fill out Medi-Cal eligibility forms as a prerequisite to getting the health care services to which they are entitled. It does not make moral or fiscal sense for the state to spend scarce dollars and staff hours making these former foster youth fill out Medi-Cal paperwork since they cannot, by law, be refused eligibility. As a result of this current practice, these foster youth risk losing their medical care when they incorrectly fill out their forms, forms are sent to the wrong a ddresses, or where there are other paperwork delays. A6. According to the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care, courts are responsible for the safety and well-being of children who have been removed from their homes as a result of abuse or neglect. In 2007, there were nearly 80,000 children in foster care, more than 75 percent of whom entered placement as a result of neglect. Half of the children entering foster care in California are age five or under. Domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental illness are factors that contribute to the removal of children from their homes. Q7. What is the cultural background of the majority of the children under foster care What percentage of the children in the State belongs to this category A.7. African-American children constitute seven percent of the state's child population but are more than 30 percent of the children in foster care. Native American children are 0.84 percent of the state's child population but represent 1.41 percent of the children in foster care. Youth who "age out" of foster care often leave the system ill-prepared to live as adults, and face a significantly increased risk of unemployment, homelessness, mental illness, and involvement with the criminal justice system. Q8. Why would the former foster children have special medical needs A 8. While the children are moved out of their own homes to avoid exposure to unpleasant conditions, there is