>>TONIGHT AT 10 NEWS INVESTIGATION, FOSTER CARE KIDS IN CRISIS.
>>GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, I’M JOHN CARLIN.
>>AND I’M RACHEL LUCAS AT
CRISIS THAT WE’VE NEVER SEEN
HERE
IN VIRGINIA.
>>FOSTER CHILDREN SLEEPING IN
OFFICES AND HOTEL ROOMS BECAUSE
THERE’S NO OTHER OPTION.
>>TONIGHT IN A 10 NEWS
INVESTIGATION TO NEWS ANCHOR
JENNA ZIBTON IS WORKING FOR YOU
TO
FIND OUT.
WHY IT’S HAPPENING AND WHAT CAN
BE DONE TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEM.
>>THE SOFA IS WHERE WE’VE HAD
CHILDREN.
I’M ACTUALLY SLEEP WHILE
WE ARE FURIOUSLY TRYING TO FIND
THE RIGHT AND
FOR THEM.
>>ANDY CRAWFORD IS THE BEDFORD
COUNTY DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL
SERVICES YOU EVER SEEN IT THIS
BAD.
>>TOO STRESSFUL
FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE IF YOU’RE
A CHILD AND YOU’RE HAVING TO SLEEP AT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
THEN YOU KNOW THAT WE DON’T
HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE WHERE
YOU TOGETHER.
SO WHEN IT HELD LOOKS AT YOU
AND SAYS HAVE YOU FOUND ANYBODY
WHO WILL TAKE ME AGAIN.
THAT’S DEVASTATING. >>BUT THAT’S THE REALITY FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES ACROSS
VIRGINIA.
LAST YEAR FROM FEBRUARY
THROUGH JULY.
163 CHILDREN WERE DISPLACED FOR
AT LEAST ONE NIGHT SPENDING
TIME IN OFFICES,
HOTEL ROOMS OR
EMERGENCY ROOMS WAITING FOR THE
PERMANENT PLACE
TO GO.
THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL SERVICES BEGAN
COLLECTING DATA AGAIN AT THE
BEGINNING OF
THIS YEAR FROM JANUARY 1ST TO
APRIL 29TH, 22 CHILDREN WERE
DISPLACED FOR A TOTAL OF
103 NIGHTS.
THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME FOR
ONE CHILD WAS
21 DAYS.
THE LACK OF AWARENESS
OF THIS ISSUE IS SURREAL AS
THE VOICES FOR VIRGINIA’S
CHILDREN POLICY AND
PROGRAMS DIRECTOR IT’S ALLISON
GILBERT ITS JOB TO SHINE A
LIGHT ON WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
THE FOSTER
CARE SYSTEM, PREVIOUSLY IN
VIRGINIA WE NEVER
REALLY SAW.
SITUATIONS WHERE KIDS COULDN’T
FIND SOME SORT OF PLACE IN IT.
>>WE’VE HAD.
POUNDS OR COMEDY CARE SETTING
THAT COULD
TAKE THEM AND WE EVEN
HAD THE COMMONWEALTH, THE
HOSPITAL WHICH IS A PSYCHIATRIC
HOSPITAL BUT KIDS IN VIRGINIA.
REALLY KIDS WITH EXTREME NEEDS COULD AT LEAST GO THERE. >>WE’RE SENDING CHILDREN AS FAR
AWAY AS YOU TALK.
WORSENING
WORSENING VIRGINIA CHILDREN ALL OVER THE
UNITED STATES BECAUSE VIRGINIA FACILITIES AND SERVICES ARE.
>>NATALIE
>>NATALIE ELLIOTT HANDY IS THE CEO OF INTERCEPT HEALTH ONE OF THE
LARGEST
PRIVATE PROVIDERS WHOSE ONLY
OPERATING AT 60% CAPACITY RIGHT
NOW BECAUSE OF STAFFING ISSUES
LIKE WE’RE SEEING ACROSS THE
FOSTER
CARE SYSTEM.
SHE’S ALSO PART OF THE SAFE AND
SOUND TASK FORCE.
A GROUP OF MORE THAN 70 PEOPLE
WORKING TO FIND HOMES FOR ALL
OF THE HARD TO PLACE KIDS IN
THE
SHORT TERM WITH THE RAPID
RESPONSE TEAM WHERE SHE’S BEEN
ON THOSE CALLS.
HE WILL.
>>DSS SOCIAL WORKERS HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH HIM.
>>STANDING ISSUES IN FOSTER CARE AND I THINK WHAT EVERYONE IS SEEING
RIGHT NOW IS BUT THAT CAN TO
MAKE CERTAIN LIKE EVERY OTHER
SYSTEM TO SHED LIGHT ON.
>>SHE SAYS THERE ARE FEWER FOSTER PARENTS, AN INCREASE OF KIDS COMING
INTO CARE AND AN INCREASE IN
KIDS WITH A MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS.
>>SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE
BUBBLING UP AT THE SAME TIME.
>>BY JULY
>>BY JULY FIRST THE GOAL IS TO HAVE EVERY CHILD PLAY SOMEWHERE
BUT ONCE THEY ALL FIND HOMES
THE WORK CAN’T STOP BECAUSE
MORE WILL COME ALONG.
THAT’S WHY THEY’RE MOVING ON TO
PHASE 2, 3,
TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO WHAT’S
CAUSED THIS PROBLEM TO BEGIN
WITH.
>>I THINK IT’S BABY STEPS WE’VE
GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET
FACILITIES TO BE ABLE TO HIRE
THE STAFF THEY NEED.
FOCUS ON THE KIDS THAT WE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE WE’RE GETTING THEM TO THE RIGHT
SERVICES ARE THEY
DIAGNOSED CORRECTLY
ARE WE ARE WE FOCUSING ON THE
RIGHT BEHAVIOR.
>>TODAY’S RECENTLY
WHERE THERE WERE NO CHILDREN
DISPLACED.