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Sue Jacobs, founder and director of the Center for Family Representation, on cutting the cost and length of time kids spend in foster care.
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Snacks -- story about a program that is try -- save us from government waste their more than 400000.
Children in Foster care in the US in the average length of time.
Is about two years back cost taxpayers nine billion dollars a year but no organization right here in New York.
Has set up a system that cuts but the time concern Foster care as well as how much it costs in fact just last year they say taxpayers.
More than seven million dollars in New York with me now -- Jacobs who is the founder and director of the center for failing representation.
How did how do you do this I -- how you cut the cost and the length of time without you know immediately people think -- that would put kids in danger.
Well you know Foster care is not what -- normally we may think of it as it's for children who in fact we think that children who are in Foster -- have been abuse.
And it's really not it's a system that is set up for children who have been what we call neglected.
And it's really because their families are living in poverty they've got some challenges like let's say substance abuse -- our -- domestic violence.
And it's a wave four.
Jurisdictions.
To watch over the children but -- there for too long.
It's so but -- your take on the situation isn't it dangerous situation it's a good thing that they're out of it I mean that's it that's a misconception as -- -- is a misconception is right so what is their normal situation where you would -- -- -- -- this was a mistake you -- to -- so.
Let's say you would be surprised to learn that somebody who had postpartum depression might lose their child to Foster care.
People who are low income and don't have enough resources to get the supports for their families might wind up in that situation as one of their clients did so what he says DO how do you save the money right so what we do is we try to keep people out of Foster care altogether and we also reduce the length of stay for children if they do go and we we keep people out of Foster care is we have teams that are interdisciplinary so -- social workers and lawyers and parents who are -- mentors for these families.
We also if our children go into Foster care we are able to get the -- -- -- much drastically reduced rate.
Out our average last year was 2.5 months as compared to what you would like only like two years since two years -- come right down to two must -- YEU going to the home and you find a way to make it safe.
We worked very hard with the families yes to.
Address the problems that they have problems to understand and also to provide services early and provide services that fit those families so money does that -- typically how are you paid I mean we're we're show about money -- and it would have the right answer is behind -- -- Foster care in New York State costs on average.
29000.
Dollars a year for child action of its -- -- that's one of the lower rates.
And children as you pointed out and nationally -- in Foster care for two years but in New York State are in Foster care for 29 months Alex -- reduce that assisted by 2.5.
22 point five months in our total cost -- -- -- cost is 6000 dollars -- your family 6000 dollars but from government funds as it's sort of like an experimental program -- trying cut down on the length of time I wish we were paid fully by government but of course in times of type government budgets.
We are not we have a performance based contract with New York City which provides us about two thirds of the costs that -- a public private partnership.
And we really rely on the private part of that partnership after big that extra third you know it's a really interesting experiment we're always looking at ways to save taxpayer dollars and do better job with my programs at the same time which seems to be where you're doing I think is coming on the show -- -- and I thank you for having me so.
