Roger Sherman: To help children, Idaho must focus on helping families

By Roger Sherman

What problem are we trying to solve when we say we have a foster care crisis in Idaho?

When the state puts kids up in short-term rentals with Health and Welfare staff, this is unsustainable. The foster care system is built to provide safe housing and support in a home-like environment, but we don’t have enough families willing to foster children. Right now, that is a problem we need to solve.

But that is not the problem we need to solve.

We need to solve a bigger problem. Why are kids getting removed in the first place and what can we be doing upstream to help the families of these children? In other words, do we have a foster care or family support crisis in Idaho? I say we have a family support crisis.

Upfront, I want to assure you that I am not with those who say we don’t need a child protective system. Or with those who believe parents have a right to discipline their children however they see fit. Or with those who call it kidnapping when medical professionals provide care to children to prevent death or disability. Children have a right to live in safe, stable and nurturing environments with families who care for them. I think this is what most parents want for their kids, too.

So, what can we do to solve our family support crisis?

Evidence-based programs: Support families through expanding evidence-based programs like Parents as Teachers and Nurse-Family Partnership. These home visitation programs, run primarily by the District Health Departments in Idaho, help new parents avoid becoming overwhelmed by the stresses of parenting. Other support services like parent support groups and parenting skill classes can also help.

Child-centric institutions: Support families through developing and expanding community-based child-centric institutions like schools, child care programs, and libraries that can provide wrap-around services like food, clothing, parenting skills classes, and physical, behavioral and dental health services. The community schools model developed around the state can provide that kind of support to families.

Family-friendly workplace: Support families through being a family-friendly workplace that pays livable wages and supports policies that support families. For example, the state of Idaho, the cities of Meridian and Boise, and companies like Chobani, Idaho Power and Micron all provide some version of paid parental leave. This relieves some of the stress that families are under when they have a baby.

Child development education: Support future families by making child development a required course for high school graduation. Most of us come into parenting without that knowledge, but most graduate from high school, which is an excellent place to learn. These are just some of the ways we can start to build a child and family well-being system that focuses on providing the conditions that keep children safe by helping families thrive.

We can all play a role when it comes to growing these policies and practices.

Roger Sherman, of Boise, is the executive director of the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund which is the state affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse America.