Someone just asked me, “If I gave you $10,000 for SFFCCI, what would I get for it?” I gave a long winded and rambling answer that caused his mind to check out and go to another place. WOW! A great question and as a member of the Advisory Board, I felt like a failure. I did not know the answer. Recognizing that the staff and other Advisory Board members are sharper than I, they listened to the question and stared back at me. I interpreted the stare as, “I do not know.” Within 30 minutes we came to the following eye opening conclusion.
$17 per day is the cost of providing a safe and loving environment for a child placed in a volunteer SFFCCI host home.
$38 per day is the estimated cost for the tax payer to have a child in foster care.
My friend, give SFFCCI the $10,000 and we will provide a home for 588 kid days.
Assumptions:
Foster Care*
$14,000 is annual estimated cost for foster care. This is an average, but a conservative average. $0 is included for court costs, law enforcement, Department of Child Services, etc.
Safe Families for Children Central Indiana
$114,000 was the 2009 – 2010 year expenses. 233 children were guests in volunteer host homes. $489 is the average cost. If the average length of stay is 28 days, we see an average cost of approximately $17.
*We recognize there are a lot of assumptions and lots of arguments could be made for higher or lower numbers. But, the point is, Safe Families for Children is a good investment of money for society and children. We value the role of foster parents and the role they play in protecting children. Nothing written here should be misinterpreted as negative toward DCS, the courts, foster care, etc. There is a need for all of us.
Over 160 homes are registered in Central Indiana as host homes for SFFCCI. THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! Your generosity makes this possible.
What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to share them.
Chuck Gross
President - Advisory Board
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