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The foster care system and its effects
The foster care system and its effects
The foster care system and its effects
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Many children and young adults have been placed under a foster care system. Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state certified caregiver known as a " foster parent". The placement of the the child is usually arranged through the government or a social service agency. Imagine yourself, or even someone else being separated from their families. Having that confused look on your face, tears running down your cheeks. Seeing a sad and terrified face expression that your mother or father is giving that you never once seen before. No one wants you to leave, you don't want to leave, but by having no other choice you're forced to go. You want to just run back and squeeze your parents real tight, for them to hold you close and never let go, knowing that you can't. It's scary to think how one day someone could be with their parents having a normal life, then the next day or even moment all of a sudden that happiness, joy and laughter is taken away from them , wiped clean. Although foster homes are intended to provide good care and safety for children, many of these homes trigger factors in children and young adults that result in depression, changes in character level, personality, and social life. Americans today tend to think of childhood in terms of the nuclear family. This meaning mom and dad, or just mom or just dad to take care of their kids. Reality is that things don't always work out this way. For any number of reasons, parents sometimes end up in a situation where they can't take care of their children, either temporarily or permanently. The reasons behind a child's placement into foster care vary widely. These several reasons are due to physical ... ... middle of paper ... ...ir mind away from the past, but sometimes it's hard and they can't help but to think about it. A child's greatest fear is to be unloved and abandoned by his/her parents. (Ginott, 161). The child needs to feel that he/ she is secure and being cared for by someone who is bigger and in control. (Segal, 79). Children want to feel very much wanted, and if they feel as though they are alone, this also causes depression. Sometimes they wish for their parents to be around, sadly knowing that they aren't there. Works Cited Ginott,, Haim G. (1995). Between Parent and Child. Avon Books, The Hearst Corporation, New York Segal, Julia and John Simkins (1993). My Mom Needs Me, Helping Children With Ill or Disabled Parents. Penguin Books, London, New York. "Foster Care". Dictionary.com Retrieved 2012-06-16 "Kinship care, Save The Children Uk". 2007. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
One of the biggest misconceptions that we have in our country is that foster care is a great thing; well, it’s not. There are so many flaws in our foster care system to even consider it a good idea. With constant reports of abuse, depression, lack of stability, to even the terrible after effects of the foster care system, like homelessness and incarceration; the foster care system hurts more than it helps. Our foster care system is bad for America, but most of all, our children.
This paper will contain research done about foster care, including a brief history and progressing along to the system today. This research interested me because it is a professional career option after graduation. I found both positives and negatives about the foster care system that children and foster parents go through on a daily basis. As the paper progresses I will be explaining these positives and negatives in more detail. Throughout the paper I will be referencing different scholarly sources that explain foster care in different ways. Overall, this paper will show different aspects that the general public may never know about foster care.
There is nearly 400,000 children in out-of-home care in the United States right now (Children’s Right). Just about every day children are being shipped in and out of foster homes and group homes. Most people want the best for children in foster care and decide to take care of them until their parents can possibly recover. The foster care system can have both a negative or positive effect on children, foster parents, and biological parents because of the gaps in the system. Foster cannot not be avoided but the some aspects of the foster care system can be avoided if the missing gaps were filled.
Addressing the needs of children in foster care has been an issue that has tried to be addressed in many ways. In 2001, approximately 300,000 children entered the foster care system, with the average time spent in placement equaling 33 months (Bass Shields, & Behrman, n.d.). Statistically, the longer a child is in the foster care system, the greater number of placements they will have, and instability increases each year (Bass Shields, & Behrman, n.d). I recently read a novel by a girl who was placed into the system at age two, and by age 12 she had already experienced 14 different placements (Rhodes-Courter, 2007). Stories such as this one are not uncommon in the foster care system, especially if the child is a member of a sibling group or
One challenge young adult’s face after aging out of foster care is being provided the health care that they need. According to Paula K Jaudes and the American Academy of Pediatrics, children in foster care suffer from various health issues such as “developmental delays, mental retardation, emotional adjustment problems, chronic medical problems, birth defects, substance abuse, and pregnancy” (1170). It is unknown why children in care are at a higher risk for these problems, but numerous medical professionals believe it is caused by the circumstances that led them being put into foster care, and the experiences they had while in care (Jaudes 1170). Despite being inclined to face more medical problems than teenagers who grew up in nuclear families, there is a lack of support to help take care of these teens. One study conducted by...
In todays’ society many Americans never think about our foster care system. Foster care is when a child is temporarily placed with another family. This child may have been abused, neglected, or may be a child who is dependent and can survive on their own but needs a place to stay. Normally the child parents are sick, alcohol or drug abusers, or may even be homeless themselves. We have forgotten about the thousands of children who are without families and living in foster homes. Many do not even know how foster care came about. A few of the earliest documentation of foster care can be found in the Old Testament. The Christian church put children into homes with widowers and then paid them using collection from the church congregation. The system that the church had in place was actually successful, and was continued to be used until English Poor Law eventually regulated family foster care in the U.S.
Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or
Imagine waking up everyday in a home where there is nobody you can call mom or dad. Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent". The placement of the child is usually arranged through the government or a social-service agency. The institution, group home or foster parent is compensated for expenses. The state will inform through the family court and child protection agency stand in loco parentis to the minor, making all legal decisions while the foster parent is responsible for the day-to-day care of the minor throughout the time the child is in the system.
As of 2014, there were over 415,000 children in the foster care system. Foster care is the raising and supervision of children in a private home, group home, or institution, by individuals engaged and paid by a social service agency (Legal Dictionary, 2016). Care givers can be of kin relationship to the child, or may not know the child at all. Group homes are run by a social worker and can house multiple children at a time. These homes are usually regulated by the state and/or government. Children of all ages go through many emotions when their lives revolve in foster care. This paper will discuss the emotions children deal with regarding separation from birth family, the effects of abuse, and the possibility of having to transition out of
Foster homes are a type of non-secure confinement that may or may not be associated with an offense. If a court finds that a youth's parent or guardian is unfit that youth may be placed into a temporary household. Not all youths placed in foster care are criminals, some are orphaned or in need of supervision. Foster homes do prove useful in helping children that have mental, developmental, and emotional disabilities. The foster parents before placement have already been carefully screened. The goal of foster care is not to create a permanent home for these youths, but rather a nourishing temporary setting focused on rehabilitation. The main difference between group homes and foster homes it the level of supervision. Foster homes use foster parents as a means of structure and supervision; whereas group homes are a community based facility where supervision is minimal while providing a home-like setting. Both foster homes and group ...
They need a place where they can grow and develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. According to The National Adoption Center, foster care is “a temporary arrangement in which adults provide for the care of a child or children whose birth parent is unable to care for them.” Children in this system often move from home to home and don 't have a stable, permanent place where they can call home. Many of them don 't get the chance to find a place to call home because they age out of this system and left on their own. The children put in this system are looking for love, safety, stability, happiness and feeling like they
“About two-thirds of children admitted to public care have experienced abuse and neglect, and many have potentially been exposed to domestic violence, parental mental illness and substance abuse” (Dregan and Gulliford). These children are being placed into foster care so that they can get away from home abuse, not so they can move closer towards it. The foster children’s varied outcomes of what their adult lives are is because of the different experiences they grew up with in their foster homes. The one-third of those other foster children usually has a better outcome in adult life than the other two-thirds, which is a big problem considering the high percentage of children being abused in their foster homes. Although, the foster care system has most definitely allowed children to experience the positive home atmosphere that they need there is still an existed kind of abusive system in the foster care program that is unofficial but seems to be very popular. Foster care focuses on helping children in need of a temporary stable environment; however, foster care can have negative impacts to the children and the people around them concerning the foster child going through the transition, the parents of the foster child, a new sibling relationship, and problems that arrive later influencing the foster child long-term.
Brown, Rosellen. “Honey Child.” Women’s Review of Books. Vol. 19. No. 7. Philadelphia: Old City Publishing. 2002. 11. Print.
According to the International Foster Care Organization “Foster care is a way of providing a family life for children who cannot live with their own parents.”(2004) Foster care is supposed to provide temporary care while parents get help dealing with problems, or to help children or young people through a difficult period in their lives. Children will return home once their parents are able to provide a safe enviorment for them. However if parent are unable to resolve the issues that cause their child in foster care their children may stay in long-term foster care, some may be adopted, and others will move on to live independently. (IFCO, 2004) Foster care has been a problem for many years and although there have been many attempts to improve it; it there still seems to be negatively impacting
Henican, Ellis. You Can't Do It Alone. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. Langwith, Jacqueline.