Both brothers went through foster-care programs in their hometown, Atlanta, and neither liked it.

Such workers would manage homeless shelters, several foster-care programs and more than 40 percent of the low income partment houses now owned by the city.

Washington officials say the city's foster-care program includes 2,300 people up to 21 years of age, most of whom are black.

Advocates for the poor fear that millions of families could wind up homeless, while destitute children flood already overwhelmed foster-care programs.

But community leaders say that officials of his agency, responsible for foster-care programs, could have assuaged fears but did not.

"I just don't want this child bounced around," the judge said, referring to the foster-care program.

The plan would also expand that foster-care program, increase financial assistance to foster families and improve health care for foster children.

Last march, one year after we started, the foster-care program was up again, all with private money.

In 1995, there were approximately 460,000 children in foster-care programs; a decade later, the number approached one million.

The temporary foster-care program, organized last fall by Msgr.