Children of seropositive mothers in the U.S. AIDS epidemic

Seven to ten thousand American children are orphaned each year when their mothers die from AIDS. AIDS-affected families with children have four acute needs. First, many parents with AIDS are indigent with no prospect of employment, and need welfare or disability-based income support. Second, parents need accessible and affordable health care for themselves and their children. Third, parents need legal services to secure the custody and guardianship of their children. Finally, many orphaned children require placements in homes through foster care and adoptive systems. Current legislative initiatives have proposed to change federal entitlement spending programs in ways that could make it less likely that AIDS-affected families would receive these safety-net services.