Editorials
Friday, August 8, 1997NO one seems able to explain why Hawaii is the worst state in the nation in finding permanent homes for foster children, or why rates vary so dramatically from state to state. The revelation of Hawaii's shortcomings in placing the children cries out for an examination of how the system is operating. State’s deplorable rate
of placing foster kidsThe Cambridge, Mass.-based Institute for Children found that only 9.6 percent of the foster children available for adoption in Hawaii last year were actually adopted. Pennsylvania was second worst at 15.2 percent, and only two other states scored below 20 percent. By contrast, North Dakota's rate for placing adoptable children in permanent homes was 96.7 percent.
If a state were for some reason to have an exceptionally high number of children available for adoption, that would explain why a small percentage were placed. That was not the case in Hawaii, according to Derek Herbert, the study's co-author. Hawaii had no such level. Generally, he says, states with low rates may not be publicizing the availability of children for adoption, are not aggressive about finding homes or are not held accountable for inefficiency.
Foster care agencies have a financial disincentive to place foster children in permanent homes, because the federal government reimburses states based on the number of children in foster care. However, that exists in every state and is no explanation for Hawaii's poor performance.
Kate Stanley, deputy director of the state Department of Human Services, can't explain Hawaii's low placement percentage but says the state is stepping up efforts to find permanent homes for foster children. She says efforts are focused on placing youngsters in families with other relatives.
Foster homes are costly to taxpayers and can be harmful to children. No excuse is acceptable for Hawaii's deplorable failure in placing foster kids in permanent homes.
COMPUTER jockeys were thrown from the saddle by news of an alliance between longtime rivals Apple Computer and Microsoft Corp. Macintosh loyalists saw it as a surrender to the Evil Empire, despite assurances that the alliance would bring an end to Apple's distress and lead to its continued presence. While egos withered, stocks of both companies rose. Apple & Microsoft
AS Hawaii undergoes a structural change in bolstering its visitor industry, its historical and cultural attractions should be pushed to center stage. A new study reveals that Hawaii is second only to Washington, D.C., in stirring such interest among American visitors. The study clearly points to an area where the emphasis of tourism marketing belongs. Historical attractions
Rupert E. Phillips, CEO
John M. Flanagan, Editor & Publisher
David Shapiro, Managing Editor
Diane Yukihiro Chang, Senior Editor & Editorial Page Editor
Frank Bridgewater & Michael Rovner, Assistant Managing Editors
A.A. Smyser, Contributing Editor
