Hawaii Isn't Paradise for Kids in Foster Care, Public Policy Group Says (Aug. 11)

Of 42 states whose 1996 records on how kids in foster care fared, a public policy group says Hawaii put forth the worst record - underlined by the fact that less than 10% of the eligible children were processed for adoption.

The National Center for Public Policy Analysis, which unveiled the foster care evaluation Thursday, says Hawaii's record contrasts sharply with North Dakota's, where nearly 97% of the kids who were available for adoption were actually taken in by new families last year.

But the center says its ranking of the best states for children in foster care actually puts 3 other states ahead of North Dakota even though their adoption rates are lower. New Mexico combines a relatively high adoption rate above 54% with the fact that only 3 of every 1,000 children in the state are in foster care; North Dakota has a relatively high 10 kids per 1,000 population in foster care. Utah has an adoption rate above 53% and 3 of every 1,000 kids in foster care, while New Hampshire's 51.6% adoption rate is coupled with the fact that 5 of every 1,000 kids are in foster care.

"There can be a number of reasons for the wide difference in how states measure up to the criteria of the number of children in foster care, and states differ in their response to this perverse incentive," says center president John Goodman. "The way the federal government reimburses the states encourages them to keep children in foster care, and states differ in their response to this perverse incentive."

The study shows that while 22,491 foster children had adoptions finalized last year, an additional 53,642 were legally free to be adopted. And it shows that even in the six states in which adoptions were 50% or higher, the number of children available for adoption actually grew.

The study puts slightly more weight on the adoption rate than on the number of children per 1,000 in foster care. "Having a low percentage of children in foster care could simply mean that a state isn't very aggressive about moving children out of abusive homes," says Goodman. "Conversely, a high percentage could mean the state is too aggressive."

Of all the states, Illinois has the highest percentage of children in foster care - 17 per 1,000 kids or 1.7% of the state's children, according to the study.

The report comes as Congress continues to consider making changes in adoption law that would make more kids available by making it harder for abusive birth parents to reclaim them. The House passed the measure by an overwhelming margin this spring, and the Senate is expected to consider it after returning from summer break next month.