Introduction
Introduction
The number of children in the nation's foster care system has risen sharply in recent years. Child welfare agencies face a crisis brought on by deteriorating social conditions and budgetary constraints. Rising teen pregnancies and maternal drug abuse mean increasing numbers of infants abandoned at birth. Reported cases of child abuse or neglect also are on the rise. With state and local agencies unable to adequately supervise foster homes or arrange adoptions, many children will spend much of their lives in foster care, often with lasting emotional scars. Child welfare groups favor a large increase in federal funding and a greater focus on services aimed at keeping families together. Legislation pending in the House and Senate calls for such changes, but finding the money will ...