Emotional Issues In Foster Care Research Paper

Behavior and Emotional Issues Associated with kids In Foster Care

Renee Ferdinand

83134 CCJ 4940

201508 This paper will explore the behavior issues and emotional issues associated with children in foster care and the foster care system, as well as touching base on the mental health problems these children can possibly deal with. This paper will explain the different issues kids deal with, explaining how being in the foster care system affects the kids and their behavior. The examples used in this paper will be based off research, as well as a true life story, written by Ashley Rhodes-Courter, who was in the foster care system. There will also be examples based off of experience interning in the foster care system. Children entering

(Chipungu & Goodley, 2004) Chipungu and Goodley also stated that these issues shown by children in foster care come from their experiences prior to being placed in foster care, as well as from their actual foster care experience. Children are forced to deal with the separation from their parents and siblings, and must now adjust to a new life. In a 3 month time period of being in the foster care system, children have been shown to have symptoms of depression, aggression and withdrawal, as well as sleeping problems, and failure to thrive. (Chipungu & Goodley, 2004) Due to children’s experiences prior to entering the foster care system, many of them have development issues, including mental development. According to Bass, Shields, and Behrman “children in foster care have more physical and mental health problems than children growing up in other settings.” (2004) Dubois-Comtois et al. stated that the number of foster care placements, as well as the type of placement, a child has had also contributed to the child’s behavior and emotional problems.

Luke was too young to remember, but Ashley vividly remembers being taken from her mother and separated from her brother all within the same day. Throughout the book, both kids were placed in multiple foster homes. Ashley only wanted to be reunited with her mother so she controlled herself and usually did what she was told in order to stay out of trouble. Luke was the total opposite. One of the many placements Ashley and Luke were in were with the Moss family. Mr. and Mrs. Moss were verbally and physically abusive to all the children living under their care. Ashley remembers there were times kids were forced to drink hot sauce. Ashley also remembers that Mrs. Moss would hold Luke down in the bathtub full of water, almost drowning him. Ashley did everything she possibly could to avoid these punishments, but Luke was constantly causing problems to where he kept receiving more and more of the same punishments, or even worse. Ashley is always worried about Luke because he can not seem to get himself out of trouble, and worries that he will not be adopted if he doesn’t learn how to act. In the sequel to the memoir, Three More Words, Ashley is now an adult in college. Luke was adopted by a single man in the military. Luke calls Ashley one day saying that he wanted to leave because his adoptive father had sold his pet horse. Ashley