United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

August 30, 2005

Luther D. Thomas, Clerk

United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

Richard B. Russell United States Courthouse

75 Spring Street

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Reference: Kenny A. v. Perdue, Civil Action. No. 1:02-CV-1686-MHS

Dear Mr. Luther D. Thomas, Clerk,

I am writing in regard to the Proposed Consent Decree of Kenny A. v. Perdue, Civil Action. No. 1:02-CV-1686-MHS. We applaud the work of the plaintiffs and the Defendant in this proposed agreement for the hard work and commitment to Georgia’s foster children that this document represents. We believe that the best interests of Georgia’s most vulnerable children are represented in their principles and their plan for correcting the problems currently in Georgia’s child welfare system. Our comments and concerns seek to further the interest of the children that our member agencies serve.

The Georgia Association of Homes and Services for Children is a private membership organization that serves children by strengthening the agencies that serve at-risk children. We represent more than 120 licensed and contracted private providers in Georgia. They provide for the whole continuum of care for children from family supports, foster care, therapeutic residential care and specialty hospitals for children and adolescents. Our providers care for more than two-thirds of the children in Georgia’s custody in private agencies. Our providers are mostly not-for-profit agencies that collectively give to the state more than $63 million each year toward the care of these children. We believe that our agencies have a real stake in the care of these children and are very interested in the policy and practice development that this proposed decree initiates.

Our Association represents the community’s interest in Georgia’s foster children. It is through our providers that the community is involved with these children. For these reasons, we are asking for involvement in the implementation of this decree particularly on the rate setting taskforce.

GAHSC would like to speak at the fairness hearing on September 21st. We would like to address equal licensing, representation on the rate setting taskforce, and best practices for children in care.

Please consider our remarks found on separate copy, which is attached.

Sincerely,

Normer Adams

Executive Director

404 572 6170

CC:

Ira Lustbader

Children's Rights, Inc.

404 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor

New York, New York, 10016

Luther D. Thomas

Page 2

August 30, 2005

Mark H. Cohen

Special Assistant Attorney General

Troutman Sanders LLP

5200 Bank of America Plaza

600 Peachtree Street, N.E.

Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Corey F. Hirokawa

Bondurant Mixson & Elmore, LLP

1201 West Peachtree St. #3900

Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Shalen Nelson

Senior Assistant Attorney General

Georgia Department of Law

40 Capitol Square, S.W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30334