AGENCY REVIEWING WHY MORE CHILDREN RETURNING TO FOSTER CARE

DAYTONA BEACH -- A higher percentage of local children are being
abused or neglected again by their parents after previously being
returned from foster care.

Child welfare officials have formed a committee that is looking into
why more children are returning to foster care less than a year after
being reunited with their parents or permanent guardians.

The committee is looking at the 50 cases last fiscal year, which
ended in June, and hopes to put a plan together in February that
could include putting more services in place for parents to keep
their children at home, local officials say.

"We need to try to figure out why these reunifications broke down,"
said Ron Zychowski, president/CEO of Community Partnership for
Children, the local foster care agency contracted by the state.
"Depending on what we find, it may have implications on
investigations and removal decisions, as well."

A preliminary study shows that in many of the cases the parents have
a substance abuse problem and relapsed, Zychowski said. He's not sure
yet if the parents' positive drug test resulted in the removal or if
there were other factors that put the child at risk. The committee,
which is made up of staff from Community Partnership for Children and
the state Department of Children & Families, also is looking at
whether staff overlooked something and sent the children home too soon.

The 50 cases represented 10 percent of the 500 children who were
removed. The state's goal is that no more than 9 percent of children
who are reunited should return to care within one year, Zychowski said.

So far this fiscal year, the percentage has increased to about 13.6
percent. For the month of November alone, 36.7 percent or 11 of the
30 children removed had been in foster care less than 12 months earlier.

"We're looking at the data and it's bouncing all over the place,"
Zychowski said.

Reggie Williams, local DCF administrator, said it may be that
children are being returned when the parents aren't ready or that
"other measures need to be built into the process" to ensure children
remain safe after being reunited.

Williams said they also need to review whether investigators should
not be removing the children the second time.

"We do need to consider are we acting hastily in the removal after
the reunification," Williams said.

Richard Wexler, executive director of the National Coalition for
Child Protection Reform, said it's always better to keep children
with their parents when possible to avoid children dealing with the
trauma of separation.

Wexler also said it's very difficult for anyone to "kick the habit"
of substance abuse the first time. He said other options exist short
of removing a child, including allowing parents to receive treatment
while keeping their children with them. He points to various studies
showing most children who are maltreated do better with their parents
than in foster care.

"I don't care about giving parents chances. I care about giving
children chances for a better life," Wexler said. "And we know for
most children most of the time they will do better if you don't write
off a parent after they relapse."