Foster Parent: Video Analysis

Every year in the United States, hundreds of children and adolescents are taken from their parents and primary caregivers and placed in out-of-home care situations due to issues in their homes and family lives which contribute to unsafe living conditions. These children and adolescents often face many health, behavioral, developmental, and psychological issues.

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.

The U.S foster care system is corrupt and the children trapped in it face the worst of it. The goal of foster care is to eventually reunite children with their parents or find the child a safe, loving home. Instead, foster kids face the harsh reality of abuse, mental illness, and temporary homes. The children and ripped from the homes they’ve known their entire lives because their parents struggle financially. The system would rather pay strangers to the child to take care of him/her rather than helping the parents of the child. This case would be called “neglect” when in reality most parents were doing all they could to take care of their children. The children’s new foster parents are paid hundreds of dollars per month. Often times, the money doesn’t go to the child and he/she is left truly neglected. The system is broken because children are taken from their homes for the wrong reasons and put into unsafe environments that will have a traumatic effect on the rest of their lives.

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.

Nationwide, nearly 397,122 children live in foster care. In California, which has the largest foster care population than any other state, the number of foster youth has tripled in the last 20 years (Source: AFCARS Report 2013) due to certain circumstance such as; physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse or caretaker inability. Welfare workers turn over at continuing high rates, and many are underpaid, poorly trained, overworked and demoralized. Foster Care system welfare lacks providing services to prepare older youths in foster care in independent living are lacking. Many youths that exited the system discuss their experience such as, being let down, lack of role models, poor training programs, and lack of basic living skills. Foster

Task 3: Annotated Bibliography TaShalyn Miller Old Dominion University   Zima, B. T., Bussing, R., Freeman, S., Yang, X., Belin, T. R., & Forness, S. R. (n.d.). Behavior Problems, Academic Skill Delays and School Failure Among School-Aged Children in Foster Care: Their Relationship to Placement Characteristics This article discussed the behavioral issues, scholarly ability deferrals, and school dissatisfactions that children in the foster care system face. The article broadly expounds on the number and rates of child care kids who battle with these issues.

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

Because foster kids have often come from situations where there was little stability, a regular schedule for sibling visits and creating things they can rely on is paramount to creating a suitable environment for their growth. If you are a foster parent who is committed to making sure siblings get to see one another, even when they can't be placed in the same home, then creating a schedule of upcoming visits is a smart move.

Youth aging out the foster care system is a major concern for social workers. In 2012 approximately 697,000 children spent time in the foster care system. Foster care is intended as a temporary solution while addressing the needs of the family of origin to ensure the safety and stability of children in need. On average these children spend 2.2 years in the foster care with 9% spending five or more years in an out of home placement. Between the ages of 18-21, depending on the state, a child “ages out” of the foster care system. Aging out.Those youth who are unable to attain permanency through programs such as adoption, splic and appla are forced to seek alternatives such as independent living . These youth may become homeless and face larger

Residence for children who have been a victim to abuse, neglect or other matters in their family that put them in harms way. This is what the foster care system was designed for. It keeps these children safe and provides a temporary home until the parents get their life together and prove themselves or they do not, and the children get adopted by loving families.

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.

This question brings the flawed foster care system to the surface, and stories such as the Scheers’ identifies the need for change. Foster care is supposed to be a fresh start or even a new life for children, but for some, it is the exact opposite. Many kids, through the foster care system, are eventually adopted by families that love them unconditionally; however, things need to improve for those children who fail to find forever families and homes that every human being

The reporting party (RP) stated that Koinonia was informed on 1/21/16 that allegation were recently against the foster parents Brook and Patrick Cardenas. The allegation came to CPS recently however the incidents would have occurred about one year prior to the report. The foster children alleged that the foster parents made them sleep outside and they were naked. The foster children alleged that the foster parents would make them walk up and down stairs and had duct tape on their

“I had no medical history. I had no shot records. I had nothing.” This was the response given by one of the foster caregiver participant in a qualitative research conducted by Greiner, Ross, Brown, Beal, & Sherman, 2015). Children in the foster care are among the most vulnerable population and have many health issues including chronic medical conditions and developmental delays. In addition, there is a high rate of mental health problems. As Greiner et al., 2015 depicted, children entering foster care lack organized documentation of their health history including immunization records. There are some efforts and policies in place to improve the provision of health to foster care children but they are implemented inadequately and lack coordination.

The study consisted of 12 parents who foster children ages 2-8 years old. The high levels of conduct problems among children in the foster care system and the added cost to families, society and services, there is a pressing need to support foster parents. Providing foster care to children with increased emotional, behavioral, and medical needs requires not only time, but patience in dealing with the child’s demands. Foster parents often voice they are unprepared to meet demand of children with increased behavioral and emotional needs and adolescents in their care. This situation can result in placement disruption, which further strains foster care resources and has negative impacts on foster children and youth. The incidence of conduct disorder