Create Safe Places

We received this information via email and wanted to share it with you.

The Census Bureau has opted to eliminate the “foster child” category from the 2010 Census and thereby strip us of the ability to assess where foster children reside, the demographics of the families caring for these youth, and how best to allocate scarce resources. Instead of requiring that Census respondents identify foster children in their home, these youth will be grouped with an all-inclusive group of “other” children, whether related or not, residing in the household. The less than satisfactory reason offered by the Census Bureau for eliminating this invaluable information on the size, composition and economic status of families caring for foster youth is that the extra line for respondents to report on foster children would have extended into the page fold and tripped up scanners that read the answers.

Please join us in expressing the view that foster children count -- and deserve to be counted! It would be truly unfortunate to allow our most vulnerable youth to become invisible.

A fact sheet and sample letter in regard to this issue is attached. The issue will be considered by the House Sub-Committee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. If you’d like to express your opposition to the change, please send a letter to Representative William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Chairman of the Sub-Committee. Letters can be faxed to the attention of Tony Haywood at (202) 225-2392. Thanks, in advance, for any support you can offer on this important issue.