LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved $100,000 in funding for a consultant to engage faith-based organizations in support of children and families, especially in finding more foster parents.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who recommended the action, said she hoped to energize the faith community on behalf of children.
“Faith-based organizations have a long-standing tradition of providing effective supportive services to families in need,” Barger said. “As a vital component of the informal social safety of their individual communities, the full engagement of their services in the area of child welfare in a strategic manner is a logical next step.”
Though some faith-based groups have partnered over the years with the Department of Children and Family Services, Barger said they represent an under-utilized resource.
The Center for Strategic Partnerships was directed last September to advise the county on faith-based programs and in March recommended seeking private funding to help hire a consultant. The county will fund $100,000 of the $150,000 estimated cost for 18 months of work; private donors are being solicited to make up the difference.
In addition to ideas about recruiting and retaining foster parents, programs could include visitation centers and monitoring for families involved with DCFS, respite care, substance abuse counseling, cultural brokers and other support services.
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RF says
May 21, 2019 at 4:08 pmTaxpayers money to religious organizations? Someone hasn’t read the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment…
East Lancaster Resident says
May 21, 2019 at 5:58 pmLancaster has used taxpayer money to aid churches for years. Who do you think paid for the water, sewer, and power to be brought out to Rex’s church compound which was in the middle of nowhere? How many church parking lots were paved under the guise of ‘park and rides’?
Money gets you votes and keeps you in power no matter how much crime rises, how many lives you ruin, how many idiotic statements you make, or how many inside deals go down.
Laughing says
May 21, 2019 at 8:23 pmThe money is to hire a full time person that will reach out to religious organizations to get them to help the youth.
First paragraph
OH PLEASE... says
May 21, 2019 at 7:44 amChurches don’t have time to assist foster youth, they are incredibly busy banning abortion. Soon, when these non-aborted fetus become foster youth, the good Christians will turn their backs on them again. It’s a vicious cycle, you know, just like Jesus said it should be. They are here to judge others, hate the undocumented and those of color. Nothing to see here, move on to the next thing or people to hate, just like your new lord Jesus Trump told you.
Laughing says
May 21, 2019 at 8:27 pmOH PLEASE,
I am atheist and I find your mixing of Jesus and Trump to be extremely gross.
Jesus was a mostly law abiding hippie that believed in forgiving, inclusiveness, sharing, and loving all.
Trump is the opposite of that.
Response to Laughing says
May 22, 2019 at 8:05 am@Laughing, this was pure sarcasm aimed at the hypocrite bible thumpers. I’m sorry you missed the freaking point. Those of us with an actual working brain know that Trump is a POS and that if Jesus was alive, he would not associate with these sociopaths in any way, shape or form. LOL
Alexis says
May 23, 2019 at 6:58 amResponse to Laughing: Jesus is alive, and many of us are looking forward to celebrating Pentecost this year on June 9.
Penny says
May 23, 2019 at 8:18 amLet’s hope that on Pentecost the Spirit cleans house in Lancaster where the Lord’s work is way to often hijacked by the kingdom of Wrecks
Lucas says
May 20, 2019 at 7:51 pmIn August 2018, USCIS estimated there were 699,350 active DACA recipients residing in the United States. Immigration researchers estimate the population to be between 690,000 and 800,000 people. What if the government allowed qualified DACA recipients to be foster parents?
Kean Salzer says
May 16, 2019 at 9:08 amDepending on which areas are initially recruited from, this could, even in the first year, create millions of dollars in food donations, diaper and supplies, volunteers, and dozens of new foster parents, several new adoptive familes, and launch a program that, with very little annual budget support, could grow into a huge resource. Christians don’t know how to support pregnant moms and young mothers unless their church leadership has targeted this group as an outreach ministry. Millions of Christians in LA county with probably less than 5% engaged currently.
Consultant says
May 15, 2019 at 10:52 pmThis sounds like a misuse of taxpayer funds.