438
583507545014559119
|5287545014535
FIJ622754501714874102
Quarterly7717545017470126175212246296333359406
|12167545017134
Summer13077545017148104188272322359
202216947545017157114171228
the360318020941109171
foster-care566318020940108164205266311375431492537598
industrial1199318020932100169238294335380412472504
complex1738318020956124227296328389456
to2229318020942109
discredit2373318020969101157213258320389421462
reform.360450020945106147214259362397
It87645002093273
diverts1008450020970101158220265306362
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the2286450020941109170
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bad1873582020969130199
enough.2107582020961129197265334402437
Governments360846020980147204265310379481543611652708
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make15068460209103163228289
money18738460209103171239300358
on2309846020968136
foster2523846020941109165206267312
care360978020956117162223
because664978020969131187248316372433
there1178978020941110171216277
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state192297802095697158199260
or2263978020967112
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anywhere3601110020961129186271340401446507
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America10731110020975178239284316373433
for15591110020940108153
which17651110020985153185241309
another21271110020961129196238306367412
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of3601242020968108
government5211242020969136193254299368470532600641
pays12151242020969130187244
10015121242020969139208
percent17731242020970131176232293362403
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the23901242020941110171
cost26141242020956124180221
of3601374020968108
foster5231374020941108165206267312
care.8901374020957117162224258
There12041374020969138199244305
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no17081374020968136
state-run1899137402095698158199261324369438506
system24601374020956114170211272375
that3601506020941109170211
gets6181506020969130171227
1008921506020970139209
percent11481506020969131176232293361403
of15981506020967108
its1753150602093173129
foster19291506020940108164205266311
care22871506020957117162224
costs25581506020956124180221277
reimbursed3601638020945106138241310378423479541610
by10351638020969126
the12261638020941110171
federal14621638020940101171232277338369
government,18961638020969136193255300368471532600641676
and26371638020960129198
there3601770020941109171216277
is690177002093288
no8301770020969136
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system16551770020956113169210272374
that20821770020941110170212
gets23461770020969130171227
10026261770020970139209
percent3601902020969130175232293361402
of8041902020967108
its952190202093273129
foster11221902020941108165206267312
care14751902020956117162223
costs17391902020956124180221277
reimbursed20571902020945107138241310379424480541610
by27081902020969127
the3602034020941109171
state559203402095697158199261
and8482034020961129198
federal10752034020940101171232277338369
governments14732034020969136193254299368470532600641697
combined—21992034020956123226295327395457526636
though3602166020941109177245314382
there7772166020941109171216277
are10892166020960105167
places12902166020970101162219280336
where16612166020984153214259320
it2016216602093273
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close.2502216602095789156212273308
But3602430020963132173
the5832430020941109171
financial804243002093571139200268324356417449
incentives13032430020931100156217286327359416477533
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still2103243002095697129161193
awful23462430020961145186254286
for26822430020941108153
two3602562020941126193
reasons:5882562020945107167223291359415450
•5402826020962
Foster6902826020959127183224285330
care11082826020956117162223
money141928260209102170238300357
from1864282602094085153255
the22072826020941109171
federal24652826020941102171232277338370
government6902958020969136193254299368470532600641
helps14012958020968129161230286
pay17572958020969130187
the20142958020941109170
salaries22542958020956117149209254286347403
of27272958020967108
thousands6903090020941109177245301362430500556
of12703090020968108
people14033090020969131198267299360
who17883090020985153221
keep20343090020964125187256
the23153090020941109170
family25103090020941101204236268325
policing6903222020969137169200257288357425
system11613222020956114170211272375
running,15813222020945114182250282350419454
from2080322202094186153256
the23823222020941109170
“cop25983222020944100168237
on6903354020968136
the8723354020941110171
beat”10893354020970131192233276
–14123354020955
the15133354020942110171
frontline1731335402094085153221262294326394455
caseworker22333354020956117173234319386431496557602
–6903486020955
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the9533486020941110171
“police11743486020943112180212244300361
commissioner,”15853486020956124227329361417473505573641702747782826
usually24603486020969125193254286318375
called6903618020956117149181242311
a10473618020961
secretary11543618020956117173218280321381426484
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human18383618020968136239300368
services22523618020956117162219251307368425
or27223618020968113
something6903750020956124226288329397429497566
similar.1300375002095688191223254315360395
Nobody17393750020982149218286355412
wants21963750020985145214255311
to25513750020942109
be27043750020970131
out6903882020968136177
of9023882020967108
a10453882020960
job.11403882020933101170205
•5404146020962
Financial690414602095991159220288344376437469
incentives12564146020932100157218286327359416477534
may188741460209103163221
reduce22054146020945107176244301362
the26644146020942110171
cost6904278020956124180221
of9944278020968108
foster11854278020941108165206267312
care15804278020956117162223
for18874278020940108153
state2123427802095697158199260
and/or24664278020961129199256324369
local690441002093299156216248
governments10244410020969137194255300368471532600642698
to18084410020941108
the20034410020941109170
point22604410020969136168236277
that26244410020941109170211
it690454202093273
is863454202093288
a10514542020961
less1212454202093293149205
expensive15174542020961129198259328384416473534
option21514542020967137178210277345
than25974542020941109170238
better6904674020969130172213274319
alternatives.1086467402096092133195240308369410442499560616651
Consider3604906020976144212268300369430475
a8704906020961
hypothetical9664906020968125194262303371433474506562623654
example:16554906020962129190292362393455489
Hypothetical68151380226109191284373430522604661706780863908
comparison:16365138022674163299392474538584663752844879
Total6095306022697186243325371
cost10265306022674164243300
of13725306022689147
foster15655306022659148227284366430
care20415306022674157220302
vs.23905306022683162196
total4495474022657146203285331
cost8265474022674164243300
of11725474022689147
a13665474022682
better14945474022693175232288370434
alternative19745474022683128185267331423505562607690772
Suppose3195318020959128197266334390451
in3700318020932100
Community3854318020976144246349417486517559616
A,4524318020976111
a4689318020960
mother48033180209103171212280341386
and5243318020961129198
her5495318020969130175
child3195450020956125156188257
are3523450020961106167
living376045002093264121153221290
in4120450020932100
unsafe4290450020968137193254294355
housing.4716450020968135204260292360429463
It525045002093172
costs5393450020956124180221277
$15,0003195582020970139209243313382452
to3689582020942109
keep3841582020964125186255
the4139582020941109171
child4352582020956125156188257
in4652582020932100
foster4794582020941108164206267312
care5148582020956117162223
for5414582020940108153
a5609582020961
year,3195714020957119179224259
but3490714020970138179
a3705714020961
$600-a-month3802714020969139208278342402466569636705746814
rent4652714020945106175216
subsidy4904714020956124194250282351408
would5348714020985153221253322
cost3195846020956124180221
$7,2003458846020969139174243313382
over3882846020968125186231
the4155846020941109170
same4367846020956117219281
period.4689846020970131176208275344379
The5110846020970138199
better5351846020969130171213274319
alternative319597802096193134195240308369410442499560
is379097802093288
cheaper.3913978020956124185246315377422456
Hypothetical353412100226107187278366421511592647692765846890
comparison:44691210022673161294385466528573650738828862
STATE32301378022678173274369451
OR372613780226113208
LOCAL39791378022680193291392471
of44961378022687144
cost46861378022673160238293
of50251378022687144
foster52141378022657145222278358421
care32021546022673154216296
vs.35441546022681159193
cost37821546022673160238294
of41211546022687144
a43111546022680
better44361546022691172227283363426
alternative49071546022681125181261323414494550594676756
But31953643020963132173
what34003643020985154214255
if3688364302093273
the37933643020941110171
federal39973643020940102171232277338370
government43993643020969137194255300368471532600642
reimburses50733643020945107138241310379424480541597
two-thirds31953775020941126193257298367398443513569
of38133775020968108
the39703775020941110171
cost41903775020957124180221
of44613775020967108
the46183775020941109171
foster48383775020941108164205267312
care51993775020956117162223
and54723775020960129198
nothing31953907020968136177245277345414
for36623907020940108153
the38673907020941110171
rent40913907020945106174215
subsidy?43593907020956124193250281351408454
Then48663907020970138199268
the51863907020941110171
state5410390702095697157199260
still3195403902095697129161193
is3424403902093288
paying35494039020969130188219288356
$7,20039424039020970139174243313382
for43624039020940108153
the45514039020942110171
rent47594039020945106175216
subsidy,50124039020956124193249281350408442
but54914039020970138179
only31954171020968136168225
$5,00034554171020969139174243313382
for38724171020940108153
the40604171020941109170
foster42654171020941108164205267312
care.46114171020957118162224259
The319544370290124242348
Non-Financial3602443702901392543724875906497678739911087114512511310
Incentives31954653029060178274379498570629736841943
Also419746530290133191293408
Are466446530290133215320
Awful504446530290132287362480539
Even31954927020960117178246
when34724927020984153214282
foster37854927020940108164205266311
care41274927020956117162223
doesn’t43814927020969136198254322357398
cost48104927020956123180221
less5061492702093293149206
in52974927020932100
total54284927020941108149210242
dollars,31955059020969137169200261306362397
there36475059020942110171216277
are39805059020961106167
other42025059020968109177239284
incentives45415059020932100156218286327359416477533
to51305059020941108
misuse529450590209102134190259315376
and31955191020961129198
overuse34285191020968125186231299355416
it.3879519102093273108
For31955455020959126171
starters,3436545502095697158203244305350406441
as39475455020960117
now41335455020968136221
has44235455020968129185
been46785455020969130192260
exhaustively50075455020962129197258326383424455512574606663
documented,31955587020969137193261364425494535596665700
the39625587020941109171
instinct42005587020931100156197229297353394
to46615587020941109
“take4837558702094485145210271
the51755587020941109171
child54135587020956124156188257
and31955719020961129198
run”34295719020945113182225
comports36905719020956124227296363408450506
with42325719020984116157226
our44935719020968136181
biases47105719020969101162218279335
about50815719020961130198266307
both54245719020969137178246
race31955851020945106162223
and34555851020961129199
class.6369158510209568814820426129539865868012241
And40645851020976144213
while43145851020985153185217278
a46295851020961
knee-jerk47275851020964133194255319352413458523
rush52875851020945113169237
to55615851020941109
take31955983020941102166227
away34645983020961145206263
children37695983020956124156188257302364432
is4242598302093288
not43715983020969136177
safer45905983020956116157218263
for48955983020940108153
children,50895983020956125156188257302364432467
it5597598302093273
is3195611502093288
safer33186115020956116157218263
for36166115020940108153
everyone38046115020961118179224282349418479
else4318611502096193149210
involved.45636115020932100157224256313374444478
People31956379020961122190259291352
who36076379020985153221
work38876379020985153198262
in42096379020932100
family43696379020940101204236267325
policing47546379020969137168200256288357425
systems52396379020956114170211272375431
often31956511020968108149210279
say:35036511020956116174209
“We’re37406511020944138199234279341
damned41106511020969129232301362431
if4570651102093272
we46716511020985146
do48466511020969137
and50116511020961129199
damned52396511020969129232300362431
if3195664302093272
we33026643020985146
don’t.”34836643020969137205240281316359
That38776643020970138199240
is4151664302093288
not42746643020968136177
true.4486664302094186154216250
I31956907020932
have32606907020968129186247
followed35416907020940108139171239324385454
issues4028690702093288144213274330
involving43916907020932100157225257314345414482
“child49076907020943100168200231301
welfare”52416907020985146178218279324385429
systems31957039020956114170211272375431
for36687039020940108153
more386370390209103170215276
than41817039020942110171239
4644627039020969139
years.46437039020957119179224280315
In50007039020932100
all5142703902096193125
of53097039020967108
that54597039020941109170211
______________31957149020955110165220275330385440495550605660715770
631957356010033
See3257734301714999149
generally34347343017156106162213249299325351398
Roberts,38607343017157113169219256290336364
supra42537343017145101158195244
note45267343017156111145195
4.4749734301715786