Integrative Project Essay

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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.

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