“Reasonable efforts” is a term that has existed for decades in child protective services, though its interpretation has changed drastically over the years resulting in widely different and often contradictory conclusions. Factors such as the economic times, different organizational structures, budgetary considerations, geography, service availability, and judicial interpretation have all contributed to the system’s evolving understanding of what “reasonable efforts” means.

A recent article in Governing Daily indicates that the recent tax law “could result in a $1 billion blow to social services.”  This is a potentially huge loss of income for nonprofits organizations, many of whom serve abused and neglected children within the child protection system. The article indicates that one of the reasons that people donate to a nonprofit is for the tax benefit.

For the past decade, funding has been a challenge at every level of government—local, state, and federal. The recession of 2008 was a particularly difficult time for funding across all levels of government, but it was arguably most difficult on the child welfare system as many jurisdictions had to deal with budget cuts brought about by reduced revenue. At the time, state and local government had to review priorities and determine its highest responsibility for prioritizing the distribution of reduced funds.

With increasing regularity, there is comment by publication, news article or editorial about the need for foster parents. Why? Because foster parents are an important partner of the child protection system; they provide care and safety to children who are unable to remain in their home environment.