In California, two counties are safely reducing the number of children in foster care. The progress has occurred because of new policies and practices that flexible funding has enabled.
After 18 months of flexible funding, Los Angeles County safely reduced the number of children in its care by 17.7 percent. Over a similar time-period, Alameda County experienced a 10.4 percent reduction in the number of children in foster care.
Both counties are investing in preventing child abuse and neglect through practices that strengthen families and communities.
They are also employing new approaches to finding safe, loving and permanent homes for children who have been—or seem destined to be—in foster care for unacceptably long periods of time.