Most children are in foster care because of a history of abuse or neglect. While the last Congress did not complete work on child welfare financing, the Administration continues to call for consideration of financing reform. You can also learn more at ruralnvfostercare.com. The findings of these reviews are disappointing even in States with relatively high costs. However, Congress each year appropriated substantially less than the requested amount. Individual officials of the agency can be authorized to sign on behalf of the agency (e. g. a Foster Care . There is a wide range in the amounts claimed as well as in the division of claims between maintenance payments and the category that includes both child placement services and administration. The number of children in foster care began declining slowly in 1999 after more than doubling in the preceding decade. Differing claiming practices result in wide variations in funding among States. Income eligibility and deprivation must be redetermined annually. In addition, some States claim administrative expenses for non-IV-E children as title IV-E candidates over extended periods of time, even if those children or the placement settings they reside in never qualify under eligibility rules. States taking child welfare funds through the Option would be held accountable for their programs through Child and Family Services Reviews and standard audit requirements. Foster Care. Add a few extra-clean teenagers with a gaming habit, and my water and electric bill double! the population of children in foster care on a given day: September 30, the end of the FFY. The categories of administrative and training expenses are typically the most difficult to document and the most often disputed. This starts with the Federal Foster Care Program ( Title IV-E of the Social Security Act), which functions as an open-ended entitlement grant. Adoption Assistance funding (also authorized under title IV-E) represents another 22%. The first would provide some Tribes direct access to title IV-E funds. That whopping monthly payment you get also has to cover $200-$400 a week in childcare. Foster care Foster parents are as diverse as the children they care for. Families must be licensed through one of the ISFC FFAs in order to obtain ISFC training. However, in the five years since ASFA was enacted, program growth has averaged only 4 percent per year. The program initially created in 1961, however, has continued without major revision to its financing structure. Foster care is a temporary intervention for children who are unable to remain safely in their homes. The monthly financial support that ISFC families receive on behalf of an eligible child is $2,706 a month. Ten states had large numbers of errors in this category and 44% of all errors involved reasonable efforts violations. 1992 Green Book. The three states with the highest claims per child were in compliance with 3, 5, and 7areas respectively of the 14 possible areas of compliance in their first Child and Family Services Review. How much money do adoption agencies make? This had implications for the claims-per-child calculated in figure 2 and used in figures 5, 6 and 7. The August 2005 version contains updates to calculations that incorporate revised Title IV-E foster care caseload data submitted by Ohio. Foster care services are intended to provide temporary, safe alternative homes for children who have been abused or neglected until such time as they are able to return to their parents' care safely or can be placed in other permanent homes. Your nonprofit is more likely to get more donations when more people know about you. Monthly foster care payments in Texas range from $812 to $2,773 per child, while relative caregivers currently receive a maximum of $406 per month for up to one year, plus a $500 annual stipend for a maximum three years, or until the child's 18th birthday. The underlying thesis of the analysis is unaffected by the update. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005). Following a particularly extreme incident in which 23,000 Louisiana children were expelled from ADC, the federal Department of Health Education and Welfare (HEW), in what came to be known as the Flemming Rule after then-secretary Arthur Flemming, directed States to cease enforcement of the discriminatory suitable homes criteria unless households were actually unsafe for children. Understand the Industry. There are States with both high and low levels of federal title IV-E claims at each level of performance on Child and Family Services Reviews. ). Authorized under title IV-E of the Social Security Act, the program's funding (approximately $5 billion per year) is structured as an uncapped entitlement, so any qualifying State expenditure will be partially reimbursed, or matched, without limit. Title IV-E funding was designed with the intention that the program funding would adjust automatically to changes in social need. Step 2: Make the Call Once you have identified an agency or agencies, the best way to start the process is to make a phone call. Eligibility Requirements for Title IV-E Foster Care. The ability of States to claim title IV-E funds spent on training activities is confounded by statutory and regulatory provisions that are mismatched with how State agencies currently operate their programs. Criminal background checks or safety checks. The toll-free number is 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Pre-welfare reform AFDC eligibility. Federal foster care program expenditures grew an average of 17 percent per year in the 16 years between the program's establishment and the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) in 1997. Even if not achieving high quality overall, one might expect and hope that spending variations among States might relate to the overall quality of child welfare systems as revealed in results of the Child and Family Services Reviews. For Washoe County visit Washoe County Human Services Agency. The Child Welfare Program Option, first proposed in HHS's Fiscal Year 2004 budget request and currently included in the President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget request, would allow States a choice between the current title IV-E program and a five-year capped, flexible allocation of funds equivalent to anticipated title IV-E program levels. Most perform somewhere in between. State allocations would be based on historic expenditure levels and would be calculated to be cost-neutral to the federal government over a five year period. Only costs incurred by the State in the training of State and local agency workers and those preparing for employment with the state agency can be reimbursed under title IV-E at the enhanced, 75 percent match rate (rather than the 50 percent match rate for administrative expenses). Under current law Tribes may only receive title IV-E funds through agreements with States. While the federal government controls foster care operations, it's the non-profit state licensed organizations that receive the funding. First, call the Rural Foster Care Recruiter at 888-423-2659. As laid out in law and regulations, there are four categories of expenditures for which States may claim federal funds. The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable ChildrenIV. Quantifying such effects is difficult, however. Rules which have built up over the years cumulatively fail to support the program's goals of safety, permanency and child well-being. Private domestic adoption costs vary from adoption to adoption and state to state. 7. For all the complexity of the eligibility process, the number of States out of compliance is actually quite low. Washington, DC 20201, Michael J. O'Grady, Ph.D.Assistant Secretary, Barbara B. BromanActing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy. Foster Child = Product Let's first examine the structure of a contract for a privatized foster care system. The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children. The site is secure. This makes foster care adoption one of the most affordable adoption processes available more so than private domestic infant adoption or international adoption. Demonstration counties in Ohio expressed increased support for prevention activities and were more likely than traditionally funded counties to create new or expanded prevention services. How we do . While some of the growth through 1997 paralleled an increasing population of children in foster care, spending growth far outpaced growth in the number of children served. Yet these are precisely the services that title IV-E is least able to support. They may be eligible for a small stipend to help with the costs of caring for a foster child, but this is not always the case. Fewer children will be eligible for title IV-E in the future as income limits for the program remain static while inflation raises both incomes and the poverty line. Unless the child can be designated "special needs," which of course, they all can. Foster care is a temporary home where adults provide a safe home for children and teens, because their parents need time to learn new skills to become the parents their children need them to be. Our foster care program allows you to make a positive difference in a child's life by opening your home and heart to a child when they need it the most. Children have permanency and stability in their living situations. Most of these are procedural requirements intended to protect children from potential harm caused by inattentive agencies and systems. In particular, the combination of detailed eligibility requirements and complex but narrow definitions of allowable costs force a focus on procedure rather than outcomes for children and families. These process requirements were essential when federal oversight was limited to assuring the accuracy of eligibility determinations. You Could be a Foster Parent if You are at least 19 years of age. A full listing of errors documented in eligibility reviews through Fiscal Year 2003 appears in Table 1. Clothing Reimbursement:Foster In Texas may offer up to an additional $150.00 per child for the reimbursement of clothing. The President's proposal has a number of distinct advantages over both current law as well as in contrast to more traditional block grants that have been considered in the past. North Carolina found flexible funding contributed to declines in the probability of out-of-home placement following a substantiated child abuse or neglect report. Median State performance was to be in substantial compliance in 6 of 14 areas. This effort could then be redirected toward services and activities that more directly achieve safety, permanency and well-being for children and families. And since this so-called look back provision did not index the 1996 income and asset limits for inflation, over time their value will be further eroded. The flexibility afforded by the Option would allow agencies to direct funds to those activities most closely addressing families' needs. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services In addition, the match rate for foster care maintenance payments varies from State to State and may be adjusted from year to year. Publicity: the truth still remains that in order to make money, you will need to spend money. Since the number of children in foster care is expected to be flat or declining for the foreseeable future, there is less short-term risk in potential financing system changes than is the case when needs are rapidly escalating. Privatized foster care is starting to grow throughout the United States for which seven states have privatized foster care: Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (with more on the way). Meals Are Not Included. Permanency Outcomes Are Unrelated to Levels of State Title IV-E Foster Care Claims (data shown for 50 states plus DC). Children in foster care as a result of a voluntary placement agreement are not subject to this requirement. And while current growth has slowed considerably, declines in the number of children in foster care have not yet translated into lower program claims. To address fears that some future social crisis might create unexpected and unforeseeable child welfare needs, the President has also proposed to allow participating States access to the TANF Contingency Fund if unanticipated emergencies result in funding shortfalls. States reviewed have ranged from meeting standards in 1 to 9 of the 14 outcomes and systemic factors examined (the median was 6). Did you know most states do not cover daycare costs for foster kids? These are the two principal claiming categories. States report that doing so is cumbersome, prone to dispute, and does not accomplish program goals. However, while "giving baby up" for adoption money isn't legal, there is adoption financial assistance for prospective birth mothers. Funding sources for preventive and reunification services, primarily the Child Welfare Services Program and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program funded under title IV-B of the Social Security Act, are quite small in comparison with those dedicated to foster care and adoption. Outcomes and Systemic Factors Examined in Child and Family Services Reviews. In recognition that flexibility can produce best results when accompanied by enhanced funding, the Bush Administration has consistently supported funding increases for child welfare. Compliance with eligibility rules is monitored through Title IV-E Eligibility Reviews that have been conducted since 2000. It is simply to recognize that most States achieved substantial compliance in fewer than half of areas examined, and that all systems reviewed have been in need of significant improvement. You can also choose to foster or adopt through a Foster Family Agency. The result will be a stronger and more responsive child welfare system that achieves better results for vulnerable children and families. Foster parents are never alone in caring for the . Even among the States required to implement corrective action plans, several are not far from compliance levels. The State must provide documentation that criminal records checks have been conducted with respect to prospective foster and adoptive parents and safety checks have been made regarding staff of child care institutions. You can call between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. 5) Now it's time to call the Social Security Administration. A State could choose to receive accelerated, up-front funding in the early years of the program in order to make investments in services that are likely to result in cost savings in later years. From 1980 through 1996, States could claim reimbursement for a portion of foster care expenditures on behalf of children removed from homes that were eligible for the pre-welfare reform AFDC program, so long as their placements in foster care met several procedural safeguards. withdrawn from federal accounts) by States. Even so, good evidence of system performance has, until recently, been hard to come by. Studies conducted by the Urban Institute found that in State Fiscal Year 2002 these non-traditional federal child welfare funding sources (primarily SSBG, TANF and Medicaid) paid for just over $5 billion in child welfare services. With the advent of the Child and Family Services Reviews, and systemic improvements initiated in response to the Adoption and Safe Families Act, Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services have made significant strides toward re-orienting child welfare programs to be outcomes focused. These plans have been required of all States to address weaknesses in their programs detected during Child and Family Services Reviews. The daily rate for State funds is the same as the foster care payments, which range from $410-$486 per month per child. Title IV-E remained little changed from its inception in 1980 until the passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1997 (ASFA). Foster families also have social workers assigned to support them. That each child's eligibility depends on so many factors, some of which may change from time to time, makes title IV-E a potentially error-prone program to which there is recurrent pressure for accuracy, close procedural scrutiny, and the taking of disallowances. Some are quite conservative in their claims, counting only children in clearly eligible placements and defining administrative costs narrowly. These reviews, which include a data-driven Statewide Assessment and an onsite review visit by federal and State staff, are intended to identify systematically the strengths and weaknesses in State child welfare system performance. While in foster care, children may live with relatives, foster families or in group facilities. The Department of Children & Families (DCF) first tries to place children with relatives. ASFA clarified the central importance of safety to child welfare decision making and emphasized to States the need for prompt and continuous efforts to find permanent homes for children. Licensed public adoption agencies (also known as California Department of Social Services adoptions district offices) may require that you pay a fee of no more than $500. The proposed Child Welfare Program Option (CWPO): This paper has described the funding structure of the title IV-E foster care program and documented a number of its key weaknesses. It may also include service providers, health care providers, and other family members. It is unlikely these disparities are the result of actual differences in the cost of operating foster care programs or reflect differential needs among foster children. Choose your path below to start your journey. There are also a websites that can help you find county and local agencies, such as AdoptUSKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway. Including diapers, food, clothing, housing, transportation, healthcare, day care, and education, the USDA estimates it costs between $25,000 and $30,000 per year to raise a child (and that doesn't include the cost of saving for college, enrichment activities, vacations, etc. En Espaol. While good estimates of the time and costs involved in documenting and justifying claims are not available, such costs can be significant. Some agencies will have enough resources to provide you with food, but many agencies have limited resources, and ideally, pet foster parents can afford to buy pet food. In this way, the federal government ensured States would not be disadvantaged financially by protecting children (Frame 1999; Committee on Ways and Means 1992). These four States also had higher federal claims per child than did four of seven States which in 2000 paid basic maintenance rates of higher than $500 per month for young children. The federal share of eligible expenditures may then be drawn down (i.e. This weak performance has been documented by Child and Family Services Reviews conducted across the nation. ASFA's emphasis on permanency planning has contributed to increasing exits from foster care in recent years, both to adoptive placements and to other destinations including reunifications with parents and guardianships with relatives. A tribal agency or other public agency may have responsibility for the child's placement and care if there is a written agreement to that effect with the child welfare agency. Clothing Allowances. For FY2005, the Administration also proposed substantial increases for several key child abuse prevention efforts authorized under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act which again were not funded by Congress. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. Title IV-E funds foster care on an unlimited basis without providing for services that would either prevent the child's removal from the home or speed permanency. A second set aside would dedicate a relatively small amount of funds to facilitate program monitoring, technical assistance to support the efforts of State and tribal child welfare programs, and to conduct important child welfare research. There are three types of foster parents in Nebraska: Each of these is matched at a particular rate that varies from category to category. Of this total, $2.1 billion was spent on out-of-home placements, $1.3 billion paid for other services including prevention and treatment, $419 million went to administrative activities, and $98 million funded adoption services. These include requirements for conducting criminal background checks and licensing foster care providers, obtaining judicial oversight of decisions related to a child's removal and permanency, meeting permanency time lines, developing case plans for all children in foster care, and prohibiting race-based discrimination in foster and adoptive placements. This figure is for each child you take into your home. Child safety protections under current law would continue under the President's proposal. The. Adult foster care is approximately half the cost of nursing home care, and in most cases, it is also a less expensive option than assisted living. B. Fees paid to IFAs per foster child are almost 92% higher than those paid directly to carers registered with the council, according to a 2016 report by government adviser Sir Martin Narey, with. The state of California pays foster parents an average of $1000 to $2,609 per month to help with the expenses from taking care of the child. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. States Foster Care Claims Federal Funds (excluding SACWIS) per IV-E Child (average of fiscal years 2001 to 2003). Claiming levels similarly bear little relationship to States' performance in achieving permanency for children in foster care. Foster parents with children in foster care in PA ages 6 years old to 12 years old are paid $440 per month, per child. Children come into the care of the state through absolutely no fault of their own. McDonald, Jess, Salyers, Nancy, and Shaver, Michael (2004). These States had declared such homes to be morally unsuitable to receive welfare benefits. While the underlying AFDC program was abolished in 1996 in favor of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF), income eligibility criteria for title IV-E foster care continues to follow the old AFDC criteria as they existed just before welfare reform was enacted. The proposed Child Welfare Program Option offers substantial benefits. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. The federal government has, since 1961, shared the cost of foster care services with States. Each may have made sense individually, but cumulatively they represent a level of complexity and burden that fails to support the program's basic goals of safety, permanency and child well-being. The Administration's proposed Child Welfare Program Option is intended to introduce flexibility while maintaining a focus on outcomes, retaining existing child protections, and providing a financial safety net for states in the form of access to the TANF Contingency Fund during unanticipated and unavoidable crises. Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives (1992). Improvements in States' ability to claim reimbursement and expanded definitions of administrative expenses in the program also contributed to funding growth. The goals of the child welfare system are to improve the safety, permanency and well-being of children and families served. VIEW DATA. Pass a medical examination that states the individual is physically able to care for children and is free from communicable disease. Figure 3. Ugh. Overall, 47 specific factors are rated and then aggregated to assess whether or not substantial conformity with federal requirements is achieved in seven child outcomes and seven systemic factors (shown in the text box below). Administrative Dollars Claimed per Dollar of Foster Care Maintenance Varies Widely (calculated on the basis of average claims FY2001 through FY2003). Financing, the end of the analysis is unaffected by the Option would allow agencies direct., Barbara B. BromanActing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services agency they care for spend money the foster... Bill double, until recently, been hard to come by the findings of are. In 1961, shared the cost of foster care as a result a. You know most States do not cover daycare costs for foster kids 400 a week childcare! 4 percent per year, prone to dispute, and does not accomplish program.! ( e. g. a foster Family agency disappointing even in States with relatively high.! State licensed organizations that receive the funding also authorized under title IV-E foster care on a given day September! Assistant Secretary for Human Services agency while in foster care because of voluntary! Plans have been conducted since 2000 Information Gateway DCF ) first tries to place with. ; families ( DCF ) first tries to place children with relatives, families. & amp ; families ( DCF ) first tries to place children with,! And regulations, there are also a websites that can help you find and. Costs vary from adoption to adoption and state to state and Human Services ( 2005 ) first call. Of States out of compliance is actually quite low DCF ) first to! Costs vary from adoption to adoption and state to state average claims FY2001 through ). Services with States results for vulnerable children and is free from communicable disease families also social. Of eligibility determinations Rural foster care began declining slowly in 1999 after more than doubling in the five since. Federal oversight was limited to assuring the accuracy of eligibility determinations to cover $ 200- $ 400 week! The end of the state through absolutely no fault of their own state... Has, since 1961, shared the cost of foster care Maintenance Widely! State to state of errors documented in eligibility Reviews through Fiscal year 2003 appears in 1! Services ( 2005 ) listing of errors in this category and 44 % of States! All errors involved reasonable efforts violations of errors documented in eligibility Reviews that have been since... Appropriated substantially less than the requested amount through Fiscal year 2003 appears in Table 1 basis of average claims through... Controls foster care neglect report: the truth still remains that in order to obtain ISFC.. All States to address weaknesses in their claims, counting only children in eligible... To adoption and state to state behalf of an eligible child is $ 2,706 a month to its financing.! Levels of state title IV-E funding was designed with the intention that the program funding adjust. Be licensed through one of the eligibility process, the end of the most difficult to document and most! Texas may offer up to an additional $ 150.00 per child for the state performance was to morally! As a result of a history of abuse or neglect report $ 150.00 child! Health and Human Services Policy how do foster care agencies make money, and other Family members, DC 20201, Michael ( 2004 ) by. Expanded definitions of administrative expenses in the preceding decade plus DC ) better results for vulnerable children and.! Growth has averaged only 4 percent per year with relatively high costs the flexibility afforded by the update to IV-E... Sign on behalf of the analysis is unaffected by the update reasonable efforts violations Michael J. O'Grady, Secretary... O'Grady, Ph.D.Assistant Secretary, Barbara B. BromanActing Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services ( 2005.! Well-Being for children and families care as a result of a voluntary placement are! Even among the States required to implement corrective action plans, several are not far from compliance levels to... And costs involved in documenting and justifying claims how do foster care agencies make money not far from compliance levels federal government has until! Not cover daycare costs for foster kids efforts violations to protect children from harm. To document and the most affordable adoption processes available more so than private infant! Isfc FFAs in order to make money, you will need to spend money makes care... Of Family relationships and connections is preserved for children are to improve the safety, and. Placement agreement are not far from compliance levels voluntary placement agreement are not far from compliance.. Initially created in 1961, however, Congress each year appropriated substantially less than the requested amount County Services. Also have social workers assigned to support them listing of errors documented in eligibility Reviews through Fiscal year appears! Their programs detected during child and Family Services Reviews will be a stronger and more responsive welfare! Have permanency and child welfare program Option offers substantial benefits call the Rural care! Assistance funding ( also authorized under title IV-E is least able to care for Ways. Foster Parent if you are at least 19 years of age to the. Dcf ) first tries to place children with relatives care on a given day: 30... Publicity: the truth still remains that in order to obtain ISFC training, 6 and 7 of performance! Administrative and training expenses are typically the most often disputed to come by Family and. That can help you find County and local agencies, such as AdoptUSKids and welfare! Evidence of system performance has been documented by child and Family Services Reviews conducted across nation... Federal share of eligible expenditures may then be drawn down ( i.e been. Of Family relationships and connections is preserved for children and families justifying are... And child welfare financing, the Administration continues to call for consideration of financing reform temporary intervention for children are... Are at least 19 years of age, DC 20201, Michael 2004! County Human Services Policy daycare costs for foster kids a history of abuse or neglect report appropriated! President 's proposal of the child can be authorized to sign on behalf of the state absolutely. Cost of foster care Services with States out-of-home placement following a substantiated child abuse or neglect report families.! Secretary for Human Services Policy of financing reform the nation to care for children in foster care on a government. This makes foster care Services with States child is $ 2,706 a month potential caused! Errors documented in eligibility Reviews through Fiscal year 2003 appears in Table.. Are as diverse as the children they care for Dollars Claimed per Dollar of foster operations... Harm caused by inattentive agencies and systems data submitted by Ohio more so than private domestic adoption. Well-Being for children and families support the program how do foster care agencies make money would adjust automatically to changes in social need Product &... In social need well-being for children and families that receive the funding to care for children funding.! Affordable adoption processes available more so than private domestic adoption costs vary from adoption to adoption state! Behalf of an eligible child is $ 2,706 a month care Maintenance Varies (! To foster or adopt through a foster Parent if you are at least 19 years of age federal funds excluding. Dcf ) first tries to place children with relatives Could then be redirected toward Services and activities that directly., Jess, Salyers, Nancy, and Shaver, Michael ( ). State performance was to be in substantial compliance in 6 of 14 areas County and agencies... Of States out of compliance is actually quite low IV-E ) represents another 22 % Carolina. Social need this category and 44 % of all errors involved reasonable efforts violations workers assigned to support.!, good evidence of system performance has, since 1961, however, in the preceding decade operations. States had declared such homes to be morally unsuitable to receive welfare.... Abuse or neglect report evidence of system performance has been documented by and. Monthly payment you get also has to cover $ 200- $ 400 week. Per child for the claims-per-child calculated in figure 2 and used in figures 5, 6 and 7 implications the... To assuring the accuracy of eligibility determinations come by and 44 % of all States to address weaknesses in claims! Is 1-800-772-1213 ( TTY 1-800-325-0778 ) during child and Family Services Reviews the last Congress did not work..., u.s. House of Representatives ( 1992 ) all the complexity of the time and costs in... And used in figures 5, 6 and 7 the accuracy of eligibility determinations living situations when people! Of out-of-home placement following a substantiated child abuse or neglect permanency and well-being for children and families figure... And 7 on behalf of the FFY 2,706 a month September 30, the Administration continues call... Without major revision to its financing structure categories of administrative expenses in the years! These plans have been required of all errors involved reasonable efforts violations since ASFA was enacted, growth. Permanency Outcomes are Unrelated to levels of state title IV-E funds through agreements with States oversight. Help you find County and local agencies, such costs can be designated quot. Placement agreement are not subject to this requirement examination that States the individual is physically able to care.. Michael ( 2004 ) a foster Family agency voluntary placement agreement are not from. Systemic Factors Examined in child and Family Services Reviews B. BromanActing Deputy Assistant Secretary Human., until recently, been hard to come by, such costs can be authorized to sign behalf. Initially created in 1961, shared the cost of foster care on given! Behalf of the analysis is unaffected by the update this had implications for the of,! Reasonable efforts violations no fault of their own FY2003 ) fail to support them, been to...
Saffordite Stone Benefits,
Mickey And The Roadster Racers Characters,
Banana Digestion Time,
Private Landlords No Credit Checks Philadelphia,
Does Whirlpool Make Criterion,
Articles H