The foster care gap: More parents retiring; fewer signing up to shelter children, By Patrick B. Anderson, April 28, 2013, La Crosse Tribune: “Carol Callaway opens her home to children most people deem untamable. The 66-year-old Galesville woman offers treatment foster care, which means she usually takes the hard-luck cases. Her children come from juvenile detention centers and mental hospitals, and carry backgrounds Callaway describes as ‘horrendous.’ More than have 40 crossed her doorstep in nearly 20 years as a foster parent. Callaway plans to retire this summer so she can spend time with her biological family. More and more foster parents like Callaway are leaving the system, even as demand for foster care is rising. And there aren’t many new families stepping up to fill the gap…”
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty