Integrative Project Chapter 5 Discussion Integrative Project Discussion With an increase in out of home placements for young children due to the many factors of abuse and neglect, many of these children are entering the child welfare system or foster care with serious emotional, physical, mental and/or developmental problems. Foster care is suppose to not only give these children a healthy home environment but also help with any effects from the abuse, whether it be psychological or medical conditions. Through the research conducted on this topic writer believes that our foster care system needs better strategies and policies in place to properly screen for developmental, behavioral, and socio emotional issues. Along with screening for these issues we need to ensure these children are getting the proper care and treatment for them. The extremely high rate of medical problems and developmental delays discovered in this young group of children is remarkable when compared to the general population (Silver, et al., 1999). Some children never see a medical specialist because of social worker turnover, change in child’s placement, or the welfare worker did not feel there was an urgency to do so (Silver, et al., 1999). The health care system in the US , is a great barrier to mental health care of children in foster care, although many qualify for Medicaid health insurance, few providers will accept this form of payment, or if they do they are limited on the amount of times they can see the children, to treat their systems(Kerker ,et al.,2006). Child welfare agencies need to examine their policy guidelines to assure these children get routine and health exams, and screening evaluations. Integrati... ... middle of paper ... ...mes for young children in the child welfare system. Children & Youth Services Review, 33(8), 1392-1403. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.04.009 Kerker, B. D., & Dore, M. (2006). Mental health needs and treatment of foster youth: Barriers and opportunities. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(1), 138-147. doi:10.1037/0002-9432.76.1.138 Silver, J., Lorenzo, P., Zukoski, M., Ross, P. E., Amster, B. J., & Schlegel, D. (1999). Starting Young: Improving the health and developmental outcomes of infants and toddlers in the child welfare system. Child Welfare: Journal of Policy, Practice, and Program, 78(1), 148-165. Vanderfaeille,J.,VanHolen,F.,Vanschoonlandt,F.,Robberechts,M.,&Stroobants,T.(2012).Children Placed in Long Term Family Foster Care: A Longitudinal Study into the Development of problem behavior and Associated Factors. Children Youth Services, 35,587-593.
“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.
Greeson et al. point out that many children in foster care “have histories of recurrent interpersonal trauma perpetuated by caregivers early in life (2010).” They identify this as complex trauma. This may include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect or domestic violence. This study included 2,251 foster children who were referred for treatment. Of those youth 70.4% reported two or more of the forms of complex trauma abuse, and 11.7% reported all five types. Every child in custody has experienced some form of trauma. At the very least they have been through the traumatic experience of being uprooted from the home they know and placed somewhere new, with people they don’t know. Even if they are being taken from a terrible, abusive environment, that is still their family and they are being torn away. The authors point out that children in custody do not receive the most exhaustive mental health screenings possible, so instead we end up treating the most visible symptoms instead of screening trauma exposure and trauma-related symptoms. Time and resources are inevitably spent treating problems that are actually symptoms secondary to trauma experiences and PTSD.
Social agency and the court authorizing the placement, and caregivers are responsible for the continuing monitoring to ensure that the child in placement receives adequate care and supervision (Downs, Moore and McFadden, 2009, p.275). Services for children in foster care are a teamwork effort of the different parties involved (Downs, Moore and McFadden, 2009). Unfortunately in Antowne’s situation the agency and the court system failed him because although he was removed from his mother, the abuse and neglect continued. The systems involved did not provide the safety net Antwone needed.
Though foster care was originally established to help children who were orphaned, abandoned, neglected or abused, it has also caused problems for children. Agencies often have difficulty providing adequate, accessible, and appropriate services for the families in their care. (Chipungu and Goodley, pp. 76, 2004) This paper will examine the negative impact of foster care on children as a social problem and how it is viewed and understood. Also this paper would point out the key figures and groups that are affected by problem. This paper would analyze past attempts to better the foster care system and current policies that exist to face this problem. Throughout this paper the goals and objectives of the current polices would be addressed.
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
Chronic abuse and neglect is a huge part of the foster care system. According to the Children's Rights website, “Nearly 700,000 abused and neglected children will spend time in foster care in the United States this year.” Many children find themselves being looked after by a social worker, and eventually into the arms of a new family. The authors of Foster Care Placement, Poor Parenting, and Negative Outcomes Among Homeless Young Adults state that “More than half a million American youth currently [are] in foster homes due to child abuse and neglect,” (Tyler, Kimberly A., and Lisa A. Melander). This is a very terrifying statistic. It’s hard to think that there are that many children in foster care, let alone that over half a million are in the system because of child abuse and neglect. Some have even dealt with abuse before, during, and after foster care (787). This leads me to my first point; if foster care is so great, why are children still having to deal with abuse once they’ve been placed in foster care? Why are children like Krystal Scurry being raped and killed by those who are supposed to be offering better living conditions (Ambrose, Jeanne). Why are little children like Joshua Lindsey being beaten to death by their foster parents (1)? Who is re...
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...
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (No. 16, 2007) states that about one third of children put into foster care for maltreatment are eventually reunified with the biological parent. This survey also found that African American’s were less likely to be reunified, and in children age seven months to ten years, boys are more likely to be reunified than girls (NSCAW No. 16, 2007). Many studies have been done of reunification of foster care cases and many show slower rates for African American families when compared to Anglo
Many reasons exist as to why the foster system is failing and a major one is the number of children in the program. Although the number of children in the foster care system has decreased about 11% since 2002, “…experts worry that the trend might now go into reverse” (Protecting 47). “In 2008 there were 463,000 children in the foster care system” (47), due to the actions of parents such as abuse, neglect and the use of drugs and/or alcohol can cause a child to be placed in foster care. These actions cause the number of children in the system to increase. In order for this number to decrease dramatically programs must be put in place to help find enough, stable homes for foster children. As a result of the economy, many states have “considered cutting down on child-welfare services, such as benefits for foster parents and the number of social workers they employ” (47). If there is a lack of social workers, it is less likely that a child will be placed in a home quickly. Wi...
For years there have been an excessive number of children in and out of the foster system. Quite a few children have succeeded; however, other children have not. A few children have looked to drugs, alcohol and violence to cope with what they have gone through and/or what they are currently going through. A number of those children ended up in a juvenile detention center or prison for breaking the law. Foster parents are desperately needed to help these children succeed in life and make it through this terrible time.
In order for a possible successful future to take place, an appropriate selection of the caregiver must take place (Blythe et. al 88). Whenever an inappropriate foster parent is given responsibility over a child, all sorts of issues for the parent and child are created that could have been easily avoided. Foster care agencies must select foster parents that are completely capable to care for the health and safety of their new kids (Blythe et. al 88). This means that the foster parents must be able to supply all of the child’s essential needs so that they may be a valuable citizen in society one day. Research has discovered that foster parents will experience more anxiety and stress when compared to adults in their surrounding communities (Blythe et al. 88). This is directly because the foster parent was incapable of being a sufficient parent for the foster child. Since every child is special and unique in their own way it makes sense that the foster p...
The foster care program has become such a huge thing worldwide. It can help to provide children homes and families which they would not be able to find otherwise. Foster care programs also offer temporary food, domestic care for children from birth to age eighteen. While programs laws and rules are different from state to state, typically foster care is used by children 's welfare services when a child is identified as having been orphaned, abandoned, abused, or neglected. At the same time though it has a negative impact. The foster care system hurts the structure of the family unit which has existed for centuries. Foster Care has become better and better as time goes on. Before, there would be people who scam the system and it was hard to
Foster care is the planned care for children who cannot live with their birth parents for a period of time (Emerson & Lovitt, 2003). Children in foster care may live with unrelated foster parents, a relative, in a group home, or in residential care. Children who are removed from their home and placed in foster care are often removed due to issues concerning abuse, neglect, parent-child conflict, or physical and/or behavioral problems (Trout, Hagaman, Casey, Reid, & Esptein, 2007). According to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS, 2015), on September 30, 2014, approximately 415,000 children were in foster care in the United States; approximately 64% of these children were school-aged.
To many outsiders, the foster care system may appear to be a safe haven for those children that are abused or abandoned by their birth family. This is correct, but the system with which it is based, has many flaws. A background check is mandatory for all foster parents, but a test to see if a child 's temperament matches that caregiver 's parenting style, is not. Now, this is seen as a minor issue, but there is not enough evidence to support this. Plus, there are many other, much worse reasons, why the system is not perfect. Altogether, the foster care system and a multitude of its rules are flawed and may actually be negatively affecting foster children.