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Most of the news surrounding the New York State Legislature's budget negotiations is presented in dollars and cents, as the state grapples with an immediate, historic deficit. Too often lost are the human costs to some of the proposed solutions.

It's the job of Catholic Charities and advocacy partners to point out the devastating impact some of the proposed funding cuts could have on the poor and vulnerable in New York.

Consider the grandparents and other relative caregivers of 350,000 to 400,000 children across the state whose parents are no longer involved due to abuse, neglect, mental illness, abandonment, military deployment, illness or temporary relocation.

Catholic Charities' Caregivers Support Services is one of several programs that receive state funding to provide information, case management, support groups and intergenerational education for these caregivers.

Nearly all clients are low income. Without such support, many would not be able to maintain responsibility for the children, and the children would end up in the foster care system.

Not only is living with relatives more beneficial for the children - as concluded by national studies - providing services to caregivers to keep children out of foster care is also more cost-effective.

The annual cost for each child in the foster care system is at least $46,000. If only 45 of the children living with non-parental relatives were to move into the foster care system, the cost would exceed the $2 million dollars in kinship care program cuts proposed in Gov. David Paterson's budget.

The human costs and long-term financial implications of budget decisions being considered play out with other programs, as well.

For instance, the state's investment in homeless prevention programs keeps families out of emergency shelters that cost taxpayers much more. Support-ive services like those offered by Catholic Charities' Housing Office for the formerly homeless who are living in single-room occupancy (SRO) units and for formerly homeless families and young adults also are more cost-effective than shelters and other emergency services.

The Wheels for Work program, meanwhile, recently was named by Catholic Charities USA as a model program for lifting families out of poverty, and one that should be replicated around the country.

In 2009, donations of cars and other supports enabled 62 workers in three counties to find jobs, move to better-paying jobs or increase their hours enough to reduce reliance on public assistance. While this certainly meets the goal of getting more New Yorkers into employment, the Governor proposed cutting funding for this program.

The Maternal and Early Childhood Foundation helps provide children with a healthy, secure start in life. Participants credit staff with helping them connect to prenatal care and health insurance, learn parenting skills, get to medical and other appointments, find services for disabled children, locate child care and pursue educational and vocational opportunities that lead to employment.

In 2009, 5,600 pregnant teens and young parents and their families statewide received such services and achieved such milestones through MECF. The $2 million annual investment seems worth it.

Catholic Charities urges legislators to keep the bigger picture in mind in budget negotiations. Contact lawmakers via email through Catholic Charities at www.ccrcda.org/actionalertcenter.htm. Consider joining our email advocacy network to receive messages about similar issues that impact our poor and vulnerable neighbors.

(Marianne Comfort is program coordinator of refugee resettlement and works on public policy at Catholic Charities.)

(05/13/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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