Foster Homes Wanted
A little more than a year ago, the child welfare worker for this area of the state of New Mexico contacted me in regard to finding foster homes for some children who had been deserted by their parents and left as wards of the state. She had about six children which needed to be placed temporarily until adoption proceedings could be carried out as well as a home for some which could not be adopted at present because of legal problems.
I informed the lady that I did not know of such a place, but if she would call me back the next day that I might be able to help her out. I took the problem to the ladies of the church here in Ladies Bible Class that afternoon. I had numerous phone calls from members of the church and practically as many from those not members of the church offering to take the children and many asking if it would be possible to adopt them. There was one family of four children to be thus cared for, and no less than three called suggesting that they would take all of them to keep from splitting the family. I referred all callers to the Child Welfare Worker, and shortly, all were placed in approved homes, some members of the church and some not members, since the state of New Mexico merely tries to place the children in what they term "Christian homes." Some of those older children which were placed in a Christian home have already obeyed the gospel as a result of the teaching and influence they have received.
I had wondered why the state of New Mexico did not provide a state orphan home. In answer to this query, the child welfare worker informed me that they had found it to be considerably cheaper to take these children and place them in approved foster homes, to which the state pays $35 a month for the care of the children under four years of age and $30 a month for those over that age. If possible they try to place the children in homes permanently by adoption where said homes are approved by the Child Welfare. There are families here, church member and non-church member, who have been on the approved waiting list for children for over two years.
The welfare worker also pointed out that they felt that the children were in a more normal environment in these foster homes than if they were in a state orphanage.
If the state can more easily, and less expensively care for their orphan children by placing them in approved foster homes than by placing them in an orphan's home, then why cannot the church do likewise? I have never seen a figure on the over all average cost per child per year for their up-keep in an orphans home, but I have figured the amount of money which is contributed and I suppose is spent on the upkeep and enlargement of some of the homes. I divided this by the number of children cared for in that home, and if the upkeep on my children ran that high, I would have to put them out for adoption, as the figure exceeds my yearly income, although I have only two children. (This figure did not include clothes, food-stuffs and grain, etc., donated.)
But, this problem is not going to be answered over night. Those of us who have been going along without ever questioning such institutions, and are responsible for their being built to the present sizes and proportions will have to solve the problem and what to do with those who are now dependent on such institutions. It is no little problem, and will not be solved overnight. Frankly, I do not know the answer.