The state government finally committed to the reform package and admitted the current system is failing our kids. This victory belongs to every one of you who forced them to look at the numbers and stop ignoring the crisis. We have won this round but I am staying vigilant to …
May 9, 2024
Final supporters
To the Wisconsin State Government,
We, the undersigned, concerned citizens and advocates for children’s welfare, hereby petition the Wisconsin State Government to urgently address the most glaring issues within the state’s foster care system.
Specifically, we call for immediate action to rectify the following key problems:
1. Lack of Permanency for Children: The current system fails to provide adequate permanency for children in foster care. Too many children experience prolonged stays in temporary placements, leading to instability and adverse effects on their emotional and psychological well-being.
2. Disruption of Established Placements: The practice of changing a child’s placement after they have grown attached to their caregivers is detrimental to their sense of stability and security. It disrupts their relationships, hinders their educational progress, and exacerbates the trauma they have already endured.
3. Ongoing Loss of Licensed Foster Homes: The number of foster homes in Wisconsin decreased by 231 from 2012 to 2022. During that same period of time, the number of children in foster care in Wisconsin increased by 766. This trend continues to worsen as the amount of available foster homes continues to decrease while the number of children in foster care continues to increase.
These issues are critical and demand immediate attention and reform. Every child deserves a stable, safe, loving, and permanent home. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that these fundamental needs are met for all children in foster care. We therefore, urge the Wisconsin State Government to take swift and decisive action to address these issues by implementing the following measures:
1. Improve Permanency Planning: Ensure permanency planning begins promptly upon a child entering foster care, with a goal of achieving a permanent placement as quickly as possible.
2. Limit Change of Placement: Implement policies to reduce the frequency of changing a child’s placement, particularly after nine months, unless absolutely necessary for safety or security reasons.
3. Support Foster Families: Provide enhanced support and resources to foster families to enable them to provide stable and nurturing environments for children in their care.
4. Increase Oversight and Accountability: Strengthen oversight and accountability mechanisms within the foster care system to ensure that children’s needs are being met and that they are not unnecessarily subjected to placement changes.
5. Enhance Training and Education: Provide comprehensive training and education for all stakeholders involved in the foster care system, including foster parents, social workers, and judges in order to better understand and address the needs of children in care.
We believe that these measures will lead to significant improvements in Wisconsin’s foster care system and ultimately result in better outcomes for children in foster care.
We urge the Wisconsin State Government to act swiftly and decisively to address these critical issues.
Sincerely,
Alaric Huls
Teacher/Coach
Foster Parent/Advocate
Updates
April 14, 2024
The state government keeps ignoring these children while their lives fall apart in this broken system. Seeing this momentum grow proves that Wisconsin is finally waking up to the negligence of our officials. We are not letting them sweep this disaster under the rug any longer.
Reached 100 supporters
April 14, 2024
17 Comments
Children are being left with abusive parents or caregivers because of a lack of foster parents. Left with them! Please find a way to gather and train caring/giving people to fill this void in a child's life! It costs money, commitment, and time to foster. -Thank you
Excellent thoughts to REFORM our WI foster care system. HOWEVER, I do not SEE that extend Foster Care beyond a child turning 18.....that should be until he/she graduates from HIGH SCHOOL. WHY foster parents KICK OUT their foster children at 18 with no where to go...is beyond common sense. Those that kick a child out at 18 and they have not graduated high school a RED FLAG should be SEEN by social services. Those parents are in the foster care system ONLY FOR THE MONTHLY MONEY. SHAME SHAME on social services and parents who terminate care of a child not graduated from high school.!!!!!!
This is highly needed in the state of Wisconsin bill. Children are suffering due to a lack of permanency. I am glad to speak in person on this.
As a foster parent these items mentioned are imperative to help decrease the trauma of children in the system. By focusing on the needs of the permanency children deserve.
I would love to help and join any meetings with state officials to make these changes for Wisconsin foster care children. The residents of Wisconsin do not understate the harm the child protection system is doing to our foster children.
I agree! We've had our babies for 3 years. And it's 3 years too long!
Good job Alaric!
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The state government finally committed to the reform package and admitted the current system is failing our kids. This victory belongs to every one of you who forced them to look at the numbers and stop ignoring the crisis. We have won this round but I am staying vigilant to …
May 9, 2024
Final supporters
To the Wisconsin State Government,
We, the undersigned, concerned citizens and advocates for children’s welfare, hereby petition the Wisconsin State Government to urgently address the most glaring issues within the state’s foster care system.
Specifically, we call for immediate action to rectify the following key problems:
1. Lack of Permanency for Children: The current system fails to provide adequate permanency for children in foster care. Too many children experience prolonged stays in temporary placements, leading to instability and adverse effects on their emotional and psychological well-being.
2. Disruption of Established Placements: The practice of changing a child’s placement after they have grown attached to their caregivers is detrimental to their sense of stability and security. It disrupts their relationships, hinders their educational progress, and exacerbates the trauma they have already endured.
3. Ongoing Loss of Licensed Foster Homes: The number of foster homes in Wisconsin decreased by 231 from 2012 to 2022. During that same period of time, the number of children in foster care in Wisconsin increased by 766. This trend continues to worsen as the amount of available foster homes continues to decrease while the number of children in foster care continues to increase.
These issues are critical and demand immediate attention and reform. Every child deserves a stable, safe, loving, and permanent home. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that these fundamental needs are met for all children in foster care. We therefore, urge the Wisconsin State Government to take swift and decisive action to address these issues by implementing the following measures:
1. Improve Permanency Planning: Ensure permanency planning begins promptly upon a child entering foster care, with a goal of achieving a permanent placement as quickly as possible.
2. Limit Change of Placement: Implement policies to reduce the frequency of changing a child’s placement, particularly after nine months, unless absolutely necessary for safety or security reasons.
3. Support Foster Families: Provide enhanced support and resources to foster families to enable them to provide stable and nurturing environments for children in their care.
4. Increase Oversight and Accountability: Strengthen oversight and accountability mechanisms within the foster care system to ensure that children’s needs are being met and that they are not unnecessarily subjected to placement changes.
5. Enhance Training and Education: Provide comprehensive training and education for all stakeholders involved in the foster care system, including foster parents, social workers, and judges in order to better understand and address the needs of children in care.
We believe that these measures will lead to significant improvements in Wisconsin’s foster care system and ultimately result in better outcomes for children in foster care.
We urge the Wisconsin State Government to act swiftly and decisively to address these critical issues.
Sincerely,
Alaric Huls
Teacher/Coach
Foster Parent/Advocate
Updates
April 14, 2024
The state government keeps ignoring these children while their lives fall apart in this broken system. Seeing this momentum grow proves that Wisconsin is finally waking up to the negligence of our officials. We are not letting them sweep this disaster under the rug any longer.
Reached 100 supporters
April 14, 2024
17 Comments
Permanency options should be available. As to what they look like and how you qualify for them. A child also deserves the right to have reunification, speeding up Permanency could also stand in the way of reunification happening. I truly think there needs to be more conversations about that.
Children are being left with abusive parents or caregivers because of a lack of foster parents. Left with them! Please find a way to gather and train caring/giving people to fill this void in a child's life! It costs money, commitment, and time to foster. -Thank you
Excellent thoughts to REFORM our WI foster care system. HOWEVER, I do not SEE that extend Foster Care beyond a child turning 18.....that should be until he/she graduates from HIGH SCHOOL. WHY foster parents KICK OUT their foster children at 18 with no where to go...is beyond common sense. Those that kick a child out at 18 and they have not graduated high school a RED FLAG should be SEEN by social services. Those parents are in the foster care system ONLY FOR THE MONTHLY MONEY. SHAME SHAME on social services and parents who terminate care of a child not graduated from high school.!!!!!!
This is highly needed in the state of Wisconsin bill. Children are suffering due to a lack of permanency. I am glad to speak in person on this.
As a foster parent these items mentioned are imperative to help decrease the trauma of children in the system. By focusing on the needs of the permanency children deserve.
I would love to help and join any meetings with state officials to make these changes for Wisconsin foster care children. The residents of Wisconsin do not understate the harm the child protection system is doing to our foster children.
I agree! We've had our babies for 3 years. And it's 3 years too long!
Good job Alaric!
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Permanency options should be available. As to what they look like and how you qualify for them. A child also deserves the right to have reunification, speeding up Permanency could also stand in the way of reunification happening. I truly think there needs to be more conversations about that.