Republican lawmakers’ plans for foster care don’t address the roots of the problem with the system

Republican lawmakers’ plans for foster care don’t address the roots of the problem with the system
- January 16, 2026
- Kelley Fong, sociology, West Virginia Daily News, Jan. 16, 2026
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Families in poverty are more likely to have their children removed, as poverty is often misperceived as neglect, according to Kelley Fong, assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine. “I think anti-poverty policy is child protection policy,” she said. … Fong, who studies families and the state systems and policies that affect them, noted that lawmakers could be implementing prevention policies now. “What are the investments that can be made in the near term, so that families can get the help they need without having their children removed into foster care?” she said.
For the full story, please visit https://wvdn.com/185507/.
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