Problems in Foster Care Foster Care is a system for kids that are not in a healthy home or that do not have parents. Kids that are in Foster Care suffer from the sense of being left alone, from being unwanted, and being lost. These things create life long problems and an unstable emotional life for kids in the system. Children in the Foster Care system is overflowing, the time children spend in the system is incredibly wrong, and many children suffer from abuse in their household that they are placed in. Overflow on System Foster Care Children that are in Foster care have been entered for many easons.
Some kids are orphaned and have no family to take care of them and some do not have a suitable home or family to take care of them. In the year of 2014, over 650,000 children spent time in Foster Care. These children all came from homes with parents and or a life before living with strangers. Kids in Foster Care have to change their routines and how they live to mold to how the adults looking out for them feel they should be living. Many children that are put through the system are separated from their siblings and have to live with strangers ithout the familiarities of even a blood relative.
Imagine, being taken away from your family, maybe even losing them, and being separated from the people you have grown up with. Unfortunately, separation from parents can be detrimental for many children. It is obvious that foster care doesn’t always provide stability. The removal from a home is a traumatic experience because children need to adjust to a new way of life. According to Crosson-Tower, “Children must first adjust to separation, to a different lifestyle, new surroundings, possibly a new school, and the new parents’ own children, eighbors, and friends” ( Crosson-Tower, 2008; 352).
Another issue in foster care is that kids from another culture often lose their own cultural identity making it more difficult for children to adjust to a new way of life. Neglect is the most reported type of abuse and is often associated with poverty. Often immigrants may be the poor and when coming to this country are faced with a new way of life. Immigrant children who are removed from parents have difficulty adjusting to a new culture. This new culture may mean new food, new ritual or no ritual, and or a new religion.
However, efforts are made to match children with foster parents of the same cultural backgrounds. These kids who have to suffer through this develop serious separation and also trust issues. These young adults also have low self esteem because of the constant movement from home to home. This could be a result of not fitting in the home, the potential short amount of time expected to spend in Foster care, or depending on the foster care parents and the intent on adopting kids in the first place. These things lead to less kids being adopted and more and more entering the system.
Amount of Time Children are placed in foster home for many reasons, but mainly because many children are abused by their foster parents. The guardian has put a child’s life in danger therefore intervention is needed to protect the child. The most common type of abuse referred by child welfare services is neglect. Eventually, Child Welfare Agencies place children in foster homes with the aim of reunification with caregivers. Children are placed in a foster care setting, while older children may be placed in group homes. Some children in foster care have special needs and may equire a more sound and structured setting.
Group homes are licensed by community care facilities, which can consist of six beds to larger institutions. For example, Family Care Network is an agency that serves thousands of children. Some of the children are placed in foster homes while others are placed in group homes. These group homes provide a structural environment. In-home counselors work in group homes. Some of the goals for in-home counselors are targeting behaviors that lead them to transfer positive skills. In-home counselors serve as a positive role model for these children. In choosing foster parents they must carefully screen each person.
Before becoming a foster parent, adults must get licensed. According to CA Department of Social Services, “The process requires a licensing worker to visit your home and meet with you and other family members. Minimum personal, safety and space requirements are required by law. Foster parents work with social services staff to decide the type of child best suited for their home” (Department Of Social Services, 2007). The agency is responsible for screening potential foster parents. As a foster arent, you get “monetary compensation” for taking care of a child.
Unfortunately, this monetary compensation is not enough. While it may not be enough in some cases, some adults only become foster parents for the money. The salary for foster parents range from $400-$800/month depending on the age of the child and at times may be different for children with certain disabilities (San Bernardino Children and Family Services). Abuse in Homes Abuse A third problem was the concern regarding abuse and neglect of children. Mary Ellen Wilson, an eight year old girl, was the first ase to receive media attention and legal action.
She was abused and neglected by her stepparents. Henry Bergh, who founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, directed his attorney to get custody of Mary. Henry succeeded in protecting and gaining legal guardianship of Mary because of the publicity this case received. The case of Mary Ellen Wilson leads to the passage of the New York Act of 1875. The case of this young girl brought many changes such as combating child abuse (Crosson-Tower, 2008; 11). In 1870s movements were made to protect children from abusive homes. The second type of abuse is sexual abuse.
There are different types of sexual abuse such as intrafamilial abuse, and extra familial sexual abuse. Intrafamilial abuse refers to sexual abuse that occurs within the family and extra familial abuse refers to sexual abuse occurring outside the family. The third type of abuse is neglect, which some studies suggest may be associated with poverty. There are many different types of neglect such as; educational, abandonment, emotional, medical, nutrition, child endangerment, etc. Neglect is often associated with poverty ecause many times people in poverty often can’t provide the basic necessities to their children.
Some of the reason for why neglect is more prevalent in the poor may be the high levels of stress parents are experiencing. Parents are often worried about trying to make ends meet such as putting food on the table and paying their rent: this can lead to the neglect of their children. Some signs of neglect are malnutrition and lack of hygiene care. Minimum wage may not be enough to help working parents cover basic necessities and other needs. Neglect is the most reported abuse accounted for 57% of eported case (U. S Department of Health and Human Services, 2003).
The risk of child abuse in a foster care setting increase with the following risk factors: children with disabilities, other foster children, foster parents who are taking care of more than one child, and younger children. Unfortunately, abuse in foster care may not be the only challenge these children face but those who age out of the system also face other challenges such as likelihood of ending up homeless. Our foster care system needs enormous mounts of repair in order to truly protect foster children from further abuse.