PA's foster care strategies are working for our kids

PPC's newly released State of Child Welfare report bears some good news for kids: Pennsylvania's family-focused approach to foster care is helping to reduce the number of children placed in foster care and drive down the overall foster care population.

The 2011 State of Child Welfare Report also shows an increased use of in-home services to help children remain safely in their homes, and a growing trend toward family settings for placing foster children rather than institution-based foster care. All of these are positive signs for kids.

But we still have work to do. While we are moving in the right direction, we need to do more to help all children find a permanent, loving home, and we need to put a greater emphasis on helping foster children ages 13 and older find their "forever families" before they age out of the foster care system.

PPC looks forward to working with state policymakers and our partners in the child welfare community in 2012 to build on Pennsylvania's successes and give every child in foster care a stronger opportunity to have a permanent family.

You can read our 2011 State of Child Welfare report on our Porch Light Project website at http://www.porchlightproject.org/socw11.shtml.