Who could not sympathize with the elderly grandparents who are struggling to raise their six grandchildren on a fixed income and a small grant from Public Aid? The fact that our public guardian was so moved by their plight that he petitioned the case before the Cook County Juvenile Court in order to obtain foster care payments for them is understandable.
The other side of the coin is that by making these grandparents “foster parents,” these six children will become “clients” of DCFS. One wonders if DCFS indeed needs more clients or if Juvenile Court needs six more wards. Perhaps the case in point is a case that points up the need for reform within Public Aid.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to financially support families at a Public Aid level that would provide for a decent standard of living than to force families to seek foster care status in order to feed and clothe their own children?
