Foster Child Book Report

Many children encounter difficulties which could include abuse. Neglect, and physical and sexual abuse just to name a few, are types of abuse that unfortunately cause children to be taken from the home and placed into foster care. Removing them from the home can be devastating to children involved, but placing them into foster care help eliminate the possibility continued abuse.

The chosen population of interest for the course project is children who are placed in foster care. Children in foster care are considered vulnerable due to a variety of reasons for which they are taken away from home and placed in the child welfare system. Foster care children are often removed from their home due to physical abuse, drug exposure, or in some cases due to parental inability to fulfill the child basic necessities. Foster care children are at greater risk of mental, health, and behavioral problems (Lovie, Beadnell, & Pecora, 2015). Case management is an essential part of the care plan to improve the outcomes of the population of interest. Foster care children face additional problems when the health care system is inadequate.

As of 2016 there were nearly a half million children in the foster care system, with roughly 25,000 “aging-out” each year (Ahmann, 2017). Most adolescents “age out” of the system with no one to mentor or serve as a caring parent figure. Foster youth are in dire need of long-term adult role models to guide them to achieve success. According to Ahmann, 50% of foster youth left “the system” without a high-school degree, as well as with having higher rates of PTSD, and depression (p. 43). Ahmann presented that research has proven teenagers, in general, that have quality relationships from adults able to provide support, do better than those that do not. If research has shown efficacy in supportive adult figures in a teen’s life then one can conclude that foster youth would also benefit. Foster children are at a disadvantage a soon as they enter “the system” so giving them resources proven positive is vital to their future success.

This paper is a summary of what research has been done in the field of foster care. It will focus on foster care social workers, foster care parents, children in foster care, etc. In this work there will also be reference to aspects of adoption and foster care together. This paper will encompass all parties affected by foster care and will ultimately talk about what qualities are expected of social workers who work in foster care.

For my Engagement Activity I conducted a series of research activities on foster care. It wasn’t exactly a specific organization, but a variety of them. This was to have different functions of how foster care and adoption works to unite new families together.

The reporting party is (RP) Ophelia Larose the grandmother of the foster child Aniyah Blake. The RP stated she and the biological mother had a visit with Aniyah on 6/19/15. The RP the foster father (Mark Cannon) did not bring food or diapers for the visit. When foster father was asked about the missing items the foster father replied "the FFA did not provide me with them when they dropped Aniyah off." The RP stated the child appeared very hungry and the bio mother provided the child with a bottle and diapers. The foster child had a diaper rash according to the RP. The RP got the impression the foster father did not want to participate in the

An adult’s psychological development depends on one’s childhood experiences with adults and their capability of providing nurturance, protection, trust, and security to the developing child. Children with current and previous ties to the foster care system were found to have behavioral, emotional, and social well-being issues. The United States averages more than 400,000 children in foster care during the year. Amongst these 400,000 children, as many as 50% have developmental disorders or psychiatric diagnoses (Hutchinson). Children placed within the foster care system are more likely to be found to have mental health issues due to the inadequacy

The cops found me after three days. They decided it wasn’t working for me living at that other house so they moved me to different foster home. I’ve been to three different foster homes in the last month and a half, and now I’m on my fourth. I guarantee you I won’t last long here either. I’m already leaving this place without their permission.

Foster Parent One: Shelly was born and raised in Avery, TX. She is the biological daughter of Delores Jackson and David Monsiviaz. Shelly was adopted by her maternal aunt and uncle, Eura and Woodrow Hicks at the age of 3, Shelly’s mother was killed in a car accident and her father was not accept by the family due to his ethnicity. Shelly reported she was informed by her adoptive parents that her biological father was dead as well. When Shelly was an adult she searched and located him, however she has never contacted him because she feels that should have been his job.

In the United States there are over a half a million children in the foster care system. (AFCARS Report, 2015) The foster care system is a temporary arrangement for children whose parents are not able to care for them. (adopt.org) Foster care can be arranged through the courts or a social service agency. The goal for a child in the foster care system is usually reunification with the birth family, but may be changed to adoption when this is seen as in the child's best interest.

Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (AFSA) clearly and unequivocally establishes three national goals for children in foster care: safety, permanency, and well-being. ASFA was in part “a response to the fact that more children were entering the foster care system than were exiting.” Five principles underlie the ASFA and apply to professionals working with families through public and private agencies as well as state courts. These principles are:

One of the ways foster care is inhibited is that the separation of the child from their parents and placement in a foster home can be traumatic for the child. In some instances where the child is not safe in their home, the first choice may be to remove the child and place them in foster care. Both the parents and child have a hard time accepting the situation. This separation causes conflicts and resistance from the child (Crosson-Tower, 2014, p. 316). Other myriad adjustments, such as lifestyle change, new school, new friends and neighbors, and at times a new culture, also inhibit the effectiveness of foster care placement. Foster care can create an environment of

Some awful things we hear about the foster care system makes the system seem like it is awful, but in reality the system was created to help the foster youth. Some examples would be that the system does not help after a child has entered into a foster home, but the system pays a monthly supplement to the foster parents to pay for clothes and medical expenses. Despite the common belief that foster care is an awful system, but in actuality there are programs within the the foster care system that help youth and the main goal is to reunite the foster children with their biological parents.

The numbers of children in foster care continue to increase annually with minimal attempts to intercept the causes of the escalation. Children are generally placed into foster care as a result of parental abuse or neglect; however, there are many racial inconsistencies circulating general foster care involvement. In the year of 2014, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System reported a total of 415,129 children in the foster care system. Depending on their situation, children in the system are in need of some sort of home, whether that be temporary or permanent. When experiencing this type of shift in their lives, many children tend to act out. Foster care in the United States is a

Respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Certify qualified homes within 6-8 weeks. Orientate prospective foster parents. Conduct orientation sessions and pre-service trainings. Weekly (documented) contact during certification process. Interview, assess and certify new foster parents and homes. Prepare/complete IMPACT home study evaluations (including a minimum of 3 in-home visits) and addendums meeting requirements of CWF Policy 14.11 and 14.12. Perform Safety Compliance checks (home evaluation). Complete annual evaluations for re-certification of foster homes. Follow-up with corrective actions as needed. Audits and maintain Foster parent file (quarterly). Conduct monthly Foster Parent training/meetings. Maintain foster parent compliance with