The Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services (OCS) is focusing on the need for more adoptive and foster families in Louisiana this May 14th, Mother's Day.  OCS is actively seeking adoptive homes to provide loving, stable, permanent homes for 200 children.

Mandates to states under the federal laws prohibit states from delaying or denying a child's foster care or adoptive placement on the basis of the child's or the prospective parent's race, color, or national origin.  An individual cannot be denied the opportunity to become a foster or adoptive parent based on the same conditions. In addition, the mandates require that states continuing to receive federal money for child welfare programs must diligently recruit foster and adoptive parents who are of the same ethnic and racial backgrounds as the children needing foster and adoptive homes.

"In declaring May as Foster Care Month by proclamation, Governor Foster draws critical attention to the importance in our communities of foster parents and the many organizations that provide thousands of children in Louisiana with nurturing and supportive environments," notes DSS Secretary Renea Austin-Duffin.  "They are making a true difference in the lives of these foster children."

According to the department, foster parents are dedicated individuals who help children who may have been abused or neglected, and help develop the self-confidence and the skills necessary to cross the bridge into young adulthood.  Moreover, foster parents are the glue that connects foster youth to the programs that help these young people become independent, productive citizens.

Pam Bolke, a dedicated foster parent, describes the emotions that come with being a foster parent.  "When you look at these children and see their almost daily improvements, when you know that you are truly making a difference, there is no way to describe the joy.  Some days you lay your head on the pillow and you are exhausted.  But that's a part of it.  When we see these kids laughing and happy, we know we've done something."

The newly enacted John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program will provide increased federal funds to improve the lives of older youth in care transitioning to independent living.  The funds can be used to help young people with education, vocational and employment training necessary to obtain employment and/or prepare for post secondary education, training in daily living skills, substance abuse prevention, pregnancy prevention and preventive health activities, and connections to dedicated adults.

DSS has certified 2,100 foster families and figures indicate currently over 5,000 children and youth are in Louisiana's Foster Care Program.  Approximately 3,800 of these children are placed in foster homes and another 800 are in the homes of relatives and friends.  

Jean Pittman, Office of Community Services section administrator for the Foster Care and Adoption Program, extends thanks to all of the foster parents for the hard work they do in caring for our foster children.  "We appreciate their efforts in a task that can be very rewarding but can also be very demanding.  Foster Parent Month gives us the opportunity to thank these families for their contributions to the agency and the children."

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is pleased to announce the release of the list of delinquent child support payors on the Department Internet homepage.  The site is available for public viewing, 24 hours a day, and can be seen by clicking on the link below:

The cases are listed by alphabetical categories and the user can scroll through the list to find a particular name.  In addition, DSS plans to develop lists of delinquent payors specific to the twelve regional child support offices in the State.  The regional lists will have the names of fifty persons from that area who owe the highest amount of support.

In conjunction with the designation of May as National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the Department of Social Services/Office of Family Support is launching a one-year major public awareness campaign aimed at curbing the incidence of teen pregnancies throughout the State of Louisiana. 

WHEN:           Monday, May 1, 2000
                         10:00 a.m.

WHERE:         Governor's Press Conference Room
                         Fourth floor, State Capitol

SPEAKERS:   Renea Austin-Duffin, Secretary, Dept. of Social Services
                         Vera W. Blakes, Asst. Secretary, Dept. of Social Services/Family Support
                         Senator Paulette Irons, Louisiana Senate District 4, with
                               Louisiana Initiative on Teen Pregnancy Prevention (LITPP)

A video news release will be uplinked via satellite:

The Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services in conjunction with the Court Improvement Program, the Louisiana Supreme Court, and the Louisiana State Bar Association will host the 2nd Annual Justice for Children Conference in Lafayette on April 12-13, 2000.  The theme for this year is "Una Pro Liberis: As One For Children - Sharing Strategies for Improving Practice." 

This conference brings together child welfare professionals, volunteers and community leaders in an effort to share knowledge, resources and strategies for providing Louisiana's children the safety, permanency and well being they deserve.  In addition, primary decision makers from across the state are given the opportunity to focus on ways to bring about more effective and efficient child welfare practices.

The key conference presenters are the Honorable Jacquelyn Stuart, Circuit Judge, 28th Judicial Circuit, Alabama and Mr. Steve Baron, Assistant Director, Santa Clara County Family Court Services.  Judge Stuart will discuss the role of the judge in child abuse and neglect cases as well as key principles for engaging the community to form cooperative and collaborative relationships among child welfare participants.  Mr. Baron will discuss mediation in child abuse and neglect cases.  In addition, there will also be discussion on topics challenging the courts and the community to be a part of the solution to child abuse and neglect.

The FINDWork Program is the catalyst that led to the reduction in the number of individuals receiving FITAP (Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program) in Louisiana.  This program works closely with employers by providing training to individuals with job needs within the community.  "We have seen great success with the help of numerous partners across the state," said DSS Secretary Austin-Duffin. "Our partners include business, industry, other state agencies, communities at large, as well as local governments.  Our efforts must continue as we will always have families in need."

DSS has collaborated with four other state agencies, as well as local governments, to insure success of this program.  The other state agencies working with DSS include the Departments of Labor, Education, Revenue, and Economic Development.  According to the Office of Family Support Assistant Secretary Vera Blakes, "The various tax incentives are attractive to those companies employing welfare recipients." 

On February 10, 2000, President Clinton released an additional $130 million in Contingency Funds to the LIHEAP program as a result of the rising cost in fuel prices.  LIHEAP is a program designed to help low-income, eligible families pay the costs of heating and insulating their homes in the winter and cooling their homes in the summer.

Louisiana's share of this additional allotment is $746,362.  These funds will be included in the budget request for the Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services for the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000.  The expenditure of these funds is planned for the summer months of 2000, as these warm-weather months present the most severe problems for low-income families in coping with utility bills.