When Orangewood Isn’t Enough : New Shelter, More Foster Homes Needed to Care for Children

The opening of Orangewood, the county’s residence for abused and neglected children, was a welcome sight. Built with private funds 11 years ago, the buildings were designed for children needing temporary shelter outside their homes and demonstrated that Orange County cared for its young.

Only a few years later, Orangewood was expanded, with new buildings constructed. It was an unfortunate commentary on the troubled world of too many children. Now, another Orangewood is needed, as more children are abused.

Social Services Agency officials said that Orangewood is meant to accommodate 236 children. But at one point in June, it housed 314, an all-time high. That overcrowding can add to the problems of children already suffering the trauma of being taken from their homes. More youngsters than usual also brings new difficulties for Orangewood staff. They cannot give each child as much individual attention; they are forced to work longer hours in a stressful environment.

Given the fragility of some of the children admitted to Orangewood, the home’s safety record is impressive. The well-trained staff has taken good care of vulnerable children.

Besides overcrowding, another troublesome aspect is the average time a child spends there before being returned to his home, sent to another facility for troubled youths, or placed with foster parents. Five years ago, the average stay was 30 days. Now it is twice that.

A key reason is the lack of foster homes. The county has recognized this problem for several years. It needs to do more to recruit foster parents, especially in the minority communities. More Spanish-speaking social workers and recruiters would help serve the needs of Latino children.

County officials have said they are worried that the number of abused and neglected children will increase as the county’s youth population increases in the coming years. With Orangewood lacking space to add to new buildings, sites for new shelters are being studied.

The Marine bases at El Toro and Tustin offer possible locations for new facilities when the military turns them over to the county in the next few years.

The planning is not far advanced, and costs have not been determined. But the county needs to continue pressing its efforts for children needing help on all fronts.

Programs to help parents take responsibility for their children are good; when they work, the beds at Orangewood are not needed. But when parents so fail their children that the county must step in, there has to be room for those needing assistance.