The number of children losing the foster-care services have nearly been doubled over the past year due to recession.
The need for social services in Prince George’s County has increased in the past few years as families have been hit hard by the recession, and major budget cuts mean there is less to go around. The impact on the county’s most vulnerable population is one example: the number of children in out-of-home placement increased in 2008 while foster care and adoption programs were cut.
In 2008, the peak of the recession, both the state and Prince George’s County experienced an increase in the number of children entering some form of out-of-home care, according to the Governor’s Office for Children. A report from March 2009 states that the total number of children entering out-of-home care in Prince George’s County rose between 2007 and 2008 from 1,119 to 2,065, which includes foster care, treatment facilities, detention facilities and placement with other relatives.
More: http://www.thesentinel.com/pgs/foster-care