REMARKS
Challenges with agency contracts and funding allocation
2:41:00
·
80 sec
Council Member Stevens addresses the complexities of agency contracts and funding in the child welfare system. She notes that many organizations have multiple contracts to sustain their operations, making it difficult to completely separate services. The discussion also touches on the need to reconsider how funds are allocated within the system.
- Stevens highlights the challenges of separating services due to organizations having multiple contracts
- There's a discussion about the potential reallocation of funds from foster care to support families directly
- The council member acknowledges the need for creative solutions, especially in light of potential federal funding changes
Althea V. Stevens
2:41:00
I mean, I think that also gets difficult.
2:41:02
A lot of the agencies do a slew of these things.
2:41:04
Right?
2:41:04
So there are settlement houses that have ACS contracts, that have this contract, because they are literally just trying to do the work, right, to obtain their mission.
2:41:12
So I think that also gets tricky to say because then at that point then we can't give it to anybody because a lot of them have multiple contracts because they're gonna do what they need to do to keep the lights on.
2:41:21
So I hear that, but I think even with that we have to think like, okay, well, should the city not fund these things.
2:41:26
Right?
2:41:27
And so, those are those are things we also have to think about as well.
2:41:30
But I don't have any more questions, because we do have a hard stop at 1, and I I have another panel.
2:41:35
Thank you, guys.
2:41:36
Really quickly, if
Daphne Torres-Douglas
2:41:36
I can just add.
2:41:37
I I definitely think that services should not be mandated.
2:41:40
Families should have a right to decline.
2:41:42
Right?
2:41:43
And I think the other thing that I'm hearing even from ACS's testimony is that there are a large number of people that get called in for neglect issues.
2:41:51
And I think we need to really think about financially assisting families and thinking about investing in their wealth.
2:41:58
Right?
2:41:58
Because poverty and racism is not going away anytime soon, but we have to consciously think about what we can do to help penetrate that.
2:42:05
Right?
2:42:06
And to give families what they need.
2:42:07
We spend a lot of money in foster care, helping foster families, and I think foster parents are great.
2:42:12
But what if we reallocated that money to families, right, so that they can stay together?
2:42:16
Right.
2:42:16
Right?
2:42:17
So and and I think that's missing from a lot of the work that we're doing.
2:42:20
Absolutely.
