The National Council for Adoption did a survey in February 2007 concerning the general public’s view of the foster care system. The survey posed a number of questions about the entire foster care system from monies, support to biological parents, prevention of abuse, etc.

The public has a negative view of the federal government’s foster care policies and practices. Over half of the surveyed people feel that abused and neglected children are not being served by the current polices and practices.

The public was surprised to learn that two-thirds of all federal funding is used (earmarked) to maintain the abused and neglected children living in the foster care system. Instead of looking at different options to keep these children from being raised in the foster care system. Giving additional support or help to biological parents that are truly working at getting their children back. When these children are unable to return to their biological parents then every means needs to be sought to find them an adoptive home.

The public would like to see the funding be more flexible for the states to spend more monies in the areas of prevention services, post placement services, adoptive and foster parent recruitment services and rehabilitation services. The public believes that these services should be funded relatively equally.

A major concern of the surveyed people was the income eligibility requirements to receive federal funds for abused and neglected children. In some areas, the income of the biological parents is used when setting the adoption subsidies. The public believes that “all children who are victims of abuse or neglect should be eligible for federal foster care funding, regardless of family income”.

Over 70 percent surveyed thought family courts should be measured and the information reported to the public. Over 80 percent surveyed believe, while working towards the goal of family reunification for children in foster care, an alternative permanency plan for the children should be sought.

There is concern about the red tape and bureaucracy that foster and adoptive parents face. It is believed that post placement services should be in place to assist these families caring for abused and neglected children.

The majority (75 percent) surveyed described the support they received from the child welfare system as ineffective and unsatisfactory at some point during the process, before and after placement.