What has been the Governor’s Office of Children, Youth and Families, is getting a new name and focus. The Office of Youth, Faith and Families will work with the faith-based community to provide services for children and their parents.
Director Debbie Moak said many of the problems the agency deals with are the result of drug and alcohol abuse, by parents. She said just finding more homes for the 17,000 kids in state care, is putting a Band-Aid on what are gaping wounds.
“I, in fact, want to put more resources on the front end to solve these issues. If we don't address this, all we're going to do after taking care of those 17,000 youths, we're going to keep queuing the next batch up year after year,” Moak said.
Moak said treatment can be effective and people do recover. She’ll use those tenets, and the idea that prevention works to improve the lives of the kids now being removed from their homes because of drug and alcohol abuse.