Press Democrat Editorial: Safe havens
VOICES, Valley of the Moon home offer new hope for foster kids
JEFF KAN LEE / The Press Democrat
The new, recently completed Valley of the Moon Children's Home
Published: Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 9:02 a.m.
The gleaming, new Valley of the Moon Children’s Home reinforces the safety net for abused and neglected children.
It took the combined efforts of public agencies and private donors to build a modern facility for children in desperate need of sanctuary. About 20 percent of the $25.2 million for the home was raised by the members of the Valley of the Moon Foundation, including retired banker George C. Forrester, who died a year before the project was completed.
The 25,500-square-foot complex has space for 68 children, almost double the capacity of the old Valley of the Moon Children’s Home. The county handles about 500 admissions at the home annually.
In addition to temporary housing, children receive on-site schooling and medical and dental care. They also can take art and music lessons and visit with Cassie the dog.
You can visit the new Valley of the Moon Children’s Home from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. It’s at Highway 12 and Pythian Road.
Another valuable tool for foster teens is coming to Sonoma County.
VOICES (Voice our Independent Choice for Emancipation Support), a nonprofit group founded in Napa four years ago, helps emancipated foster kids ages 16-24 find housing and work, develop life skills and maneuver public agencies. The program is run by foster kids for foster kids and fills a void in a system that turns kids out at age 18 — sometimes sooner.
VOICES will open in Santa Rosa in April, program director Leslie Medine said this week.
California has an opportunity to help these youngsters even more.
Before he left office, President George W. Bush signed legislation offering federal subsidies to states that extend foster benefits to age 21 for young adults who work or attend school. Turning kids who already lack family support out of the foster care system at age 18 drastically limits their access to the opportunities that come with a higher education.
Academic studies show that young adults provided foster care benefits are less likely to end up in prison or become pregnant. A University of Washington study reported by Newsweek.com found that caring for young adults until age 21 would represent a return of $2.40 on every dollar spent in California.
A bill introduced in Sacramento by Assemblyman Jim Beall, Jr., D-San Jose, would make the required change in state law to get the federal dollars.
Given the state’s shaky finances, California may have trouble finding the matching funds required to secure federal money. But if it can’t find the money now, the state’s likely to pay more in the future.
