Big decisions for little children.

AuthorWilliams-Mbengue, Nina
PositionTRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Brief article

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State lawmakers are coming up with an answer to the question of who makes educational and health care decisions for children not living with their parents.

Nearly 3 million American children are cared for by relatives other than their parents. Child welfare agencies in many states rely on extended families, primarily grandparents, to provide homes for children who cannot safely remain with their parents. In fact, relatives care for 27 percent of children in foster care--about 107,000--according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System.

Children come to live with grandparents and other relatives for a variety of reasons, the most common ones being parents who abuse drugs or alcohol, suffer from mental illness or AIDS, abuse or neglect their children, or are in prison or deployed overseas.

Making decisions on children's medical, educational and emotional needs can be difficult...

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