Do Arizona’s Foster Children Deserve Better?

When I was growing up, my aunt used to take in foster children. Despite raising five children of her own, she had the energy and heart to give a home to children who didn't have one.

While many foster children are taken in by loving families, many are put into group homes which have been described as horrific.

Arizona's foster program is looking bleak.

Arizona Ranked Worst in the Nation

The Children's Bureau of the United States recently released a study on group homes in the U.S. The study looks at the amount of children in the foster program, and what percentage of them are in group homes.

Arizona ranked in as the worst in the nation by a mile. Across the United States, most states averaged around 1.5 percent of foster children in group homes. Arizona had 7.6%, a massive number, especially considering that Arizona has the sixth most foster children in the state, 6,175 kids without homes. That's 470 children in group homes.

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How to Change the Tide

Group homes have a litany of issues, the biggest of which is the lack of a healthy environment to grow up in. many kids in foster homes have stated that they felt more like a number than a person, with several other kids in homes fighting for attention.

The prison-like feeling of group homes can push foster children to become more closed off and less prepared to enter adulthood. Because of this, the state of Arizona is looking for more families to open their doors as community foster homes.

With a little kindness and compassion, we can turn the tables and ensure that every foster child has a loving home and family.

[Children's Bureau]

[NBC12]