It Takes a Cooperative to Raise a Child

The supply of children in U.S. foster care far exceeds the demand for their adoption. Indeed, only one in five children is adopted from foster care in the United States. Not only do the circumstances leading to the surrender of children to the state continue unabated (negligence, abuse, poverty, drug addiction of the parents), but the U.S. recession (home foreclosures, bankruptcies, and homelessness) further exacerbates these conditions. Children of color in the foster care system fare the worst because of reduced permanent placements, extended or permanent stays in “temporary” care, and fewer transitions out of the system. Empirical data confirms this point. The challenges in overcoming these problems persist.