KINSHIP CARE AND THE SPREAD OF METHAMPHETAMINE

Government policies must be more flexible and realistic to meet the
need for permanent homes for abused kids

A Clackamas County detective described the scene of a large-scale
methamphetamine bust Wednesday as "horrendous."

Indeed, the rural Canby home was strewn with garbage and dog feces.
Armed felons were there. Thirteen guns were confiscated. So were drugs.

Not exactly a wholesome environment for children. That's why seven of
them, ages 3 to 17, were taken from the home and placed in the care
of relatives.

The seven thus entered kinship care, which is the child-welfare
system's term for children being raised by grandparents, aunts and
uncles or other relatives. It's a huge phenomenon in the United
States, growing in importance as parents struggle with substance
abuse, mental illness, incarceration and other challenges. Last year
6 million American children lived in such households. Oregon was home
to 51,617 of them.

Historically, the nation's strategy has been heavily tilted toward
foster care for abused or neglected children. Placing them with
grandparents or other relatives hasn't always been viewed as being in
the kids' best interest.

As study after study showed just the opposite, such thinking began
changing a decade ago. Nonetheless, attempts to reform federal policy
have been like trying to turn a battleship around.

This reform needs to speed up, not just for the sake of children but
also for the millions of American grandparents who are trying to care
for them. That's one of the conclusions of this summer's landmark
report, called "Meth and Child Welfare: Promising Solutions for
Children, Their Parents and Grandparents."

This report, put out by a coalition of child-advocacy groups and
funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, didn't grab a lot of national
headlines, but it should have. It connected the dots on extensive
research about methamphetamine addiction's devastating impact on the
American family -- with particular emphasis on the crucial role of
kinship care.

The report concluded that abuse of methamphetamine is increasing the
need for such guardianship, yet federal barriers still remain. Among
many excellent recommendations, the study calls for federal financial
assistance -- the same subsidies foster parents receive -- for
relatives willing to become permanent guardians of abused or
neglected children.

"Grandparents and other relatives who care for children impacted by
meth are a salvation," the report concludes. It also points out that
such potential caregivers are usually older Americans with low
incomes -- people who are willing to take on the job but are already
struggling.

In the wretched case of the Canby meth bust, the ideal long-term
outcome would be for the parents to straighten out their lives so
they can be safely reunited with their children. Failing that, the
next best option for the kids -- the least disruptive and traumatic
- -- would likely involve permanent homes with relatives.

Government barriers to such placement, as the "Meth and Child
Welfare" report makes clear, should be minimized.