Foster care services in the U.S. have been decreasing while children in the system have been increasing. According to Teresa James, Commissioner of the Department of Community Based Services, the system has an average of 7,700 to 8,200 children in need of foster care (qtd. in Toncray). Reduction of the system has caused foster children to suffer more than they already have. This has reached a crisis in which needs immediate attention. The U.S. government and foster care services know of the issues, but continue to disregard. There is more to the children then many people may realize. Foster children will end up homeless and stay suffering if no attention is aided.
Few people know what foster care means and many ponder at those words. An online article published by “Foster Care” indicated that foster care is a temporary living arrangement for abused and neglected children who are in need of a safe place to live when their guardians cannot take responsibility over them. A child arises into the system when foster care services suspect a child is in danger (“Foster Care”). When a judge approves, the system takes in the child. The main reason of why children end up in foster care services is mainly due to the guardian. Foster children usually have families who deal with issues like alcohol use, illness, drug addiction, or homelessness. Those issues will affect the child negatively if remained in environment. All children in foster care can range anywhere from infants to 18 years
In America it is stated that 1 in every 84 children live in foster care circumstances via "Statistics on Foster Care". There is a numerous amount of contrasting children from various backgrounds and ages living within these special housing homes, and many are repeatedly in and out from unstable circumstances. As children grow and mature into the new faces of the world, they face many obstacles and tribulations that will alter their lives. Living in fostering homes is a substantial example and the effects of living in these institutions can truly be great.
In the United States 21% of all children are living below the federal poverty line. 2.9 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported every year in the United States. 428,000 children are in the foster care system, and 107,918 foster children are waiting to be adopted. The foster care system is temporary out of home care for neglected, abused and impoverish children under 18. While the foster care system has all positive ideas, they fall short in providing certain needs for these children. Kids not only in America but all over the world that are living in poverty, are abused, neglected, and have an unstable home life. Nobody wants to live a life like that, especially not a child. They don’t know how to support themselves on their own, they need a family and a guardian that will take care of them, support, and love them.
The topic of children in need of foster homes is a great one even where I, live they are in constant demand for more foster parents. For years and years, the problem of poverty has been a huge effect on abuse with children, or children needing more care. I found the article, “U.S. Foster Care: A Flawed Solution That Leads To Long-Term Problems? ,” is a great article to read it explains in detail how there is so much more going on with these children and having a successful path is so important since they have already gone through so much (Stone, 2017). According to Stone (2017), in 2012, nearly 36,000 foster children had been waiting more than three years to return home or to be adopted, and 24,000 had been waiting more than
More than 5,000,000 children are in the foster system today. The idea behind the foster care is to house children whose current living situation is unstable or unsafe for them. With the increase of kids though, the foster system is starting to become overcrowded. The foster care system is ignoring and neglecting the children in the system. I propose more time and effort be put into the development and care for these kids and teens who are suffering from the effects of the current broken foster care system.
In the past few decades there has be an increasing amount of children placed in the foster care system. With the amount of rising teen pregnancies and maternal drug abuse means increasing numbers of infants abandoned at birth. There have been many cases of child abuse or neglect that have been on the rise. State and local agencies are unable to suitably supervise foster homes or arrange adoptions. Statistics show that many children will spend most of their childhood and teenage years in the foster care system, which has shown to leave emotional scars on the child. Today, Child Welfare groups are looking for federal funding and legislation to increase programs and services aimed at keeping families together.
The Foster Care System with the kids who are in it is a massive social issue that America is facing today. There are more than 640,000 foster children in the United States every year. There are 23,000 foster children living in group homes at one time. There are 32,000 who live in institutions, and twenty-seven states do not meet federal abuse and neglect standards. (Attention) Personally, I am a foster sister, because my family currently fosters. Therefore, we see the issues and needs of fostering, daily. (Rapport and Credibility) This speech will discuss the importance of the nature of foster care, the catastrophic problems of foster care, and the proposed solution for the foster care system in America. (Preview)
Foster care is a program that is beautiful and lifesaving. The government has worked hard to make it an opportunity for children to access a better life and a brighter future. However, it is also a program riddled with flaws and injustices of many kind. Many have been denied a support system once they graduate out of foster care. Some entered foster care after suffering from sexual abuse, yet had dismissed court cases because they did not have enough physical evidence to properly accuse their abuser. Another major problem riddling the foster care system is the lack of mental health care for children entering the system that have been through intense amounts of trauma. This issue is very prominent, yet it receives little recognition from the
As of 2014, 415,129 children were in foster care and increased from 2012. The foster care system is a growing problem with the problem of trauma and educational needs. In three journal articles that are discussed, the problems are taken into studies to try and improve the foster care system.
Unfortunately, this is the cold, sad reality of many children and teens who have been thrown into the system like a piece of meat for the wolves to devour. I have decided to write about the issues of foster care and the abuse children and teens face while moving through this broken system. Over the past years, I have developed a passion to intercede on behalf of our youth. I want to help them navigate through a life filled with turmoil and discord. I chose this topic because I want to make a difference in the lives of these mistreated, misunderstood, and misguided children and teens. One might ask, “How can we fix such a system with these particular problems?” Although I may not have the “right” answer to that question, I do believe there is a way to repair the massive leak that has caused a system meant to serve and protect our youth to
Definition of Foster Care Foster care is a temporary situation in which adults care for a child or children when their birth parents are unable to. Foster care is not for “delinquents” or problem children, it is where children who cannot be taken care of by their birth parents, go to be taken care of. Sometimes the family that has fostered a child goes on to later adopt them, but that is not always the case. There are families to just chose to foster children and open up their home as a space for the children to be safe until the find their forever home, in some situations the child is almost 18 and they just need a safe place to be until that time.
More than half a million kids are currently in the foster care. The huge number of children in the foster care is a concern since the system requires financial and human costs for its maintenance. The foster system needs to change in order to ensure that the children spend less time in the system and the foster homes and families become more competent in providing the needed protection and care. The system also needs to change to assist young adults who have aged out in the foster system to transition into independent living. The child welfare system is badly broken and as a result, children placed under foster care can suffer serious harm.
Foster Care can be a confusing place and scary to some. It is unfortunate when situations must put a child through the system, sometimes due to families’ inability to care for them or other times due to abuse or neglect. Many have experienced some form of loss and trauma and so the process from beginning to end must be handle with care and compassion. When foster placement is called for it is both physically and mentally stressful for all parties involved, most especially to the child. All measures must be taken to ensure that their health, safety, and welfare are top priority when a placing them with foster families who can give them stability and love.
Helping these vulnerable children access the services, interaction, and the stability needed for them to grow-up to being successful members of society can be provided with foster placement. If the process is well planned and if the foster parents are given adequate support, the foster care system can be a valuable resource for abused and neglected children (Crosson-Tower, 2014, p. 321).
Everywhere across the world, more and more children are being placed into foster care or a welfare type system. Foster care can benefit children or harm them; the effects of foster care differ for every individual. These types of systems often have a major effect on young children’s physiological state. Children entering in foster care are often malnourished and have untreated health problems. A high percentage of children who are placed in these types of systems have mental health, physical health, and/or developmental issue which often originates while the individuals are still in the custody of the biological parents. Children in foster care should be provided with a healthy and nurturing environment which often provides positive long term results. The age of children in a foster care varies across the world, but it is often seen that majority of these children are young (George para. 1). There are more young children in the system because younger children require more adequate care than older children that are already in the system. Placing these children in welfare systems is supposed to be a healing process for them. Although this is supposed to be a healing process, statistics say these children have a negative experience while being in these systems, but this is not always the case. A number of children in foster care fall sucker to continuous neglect and recurrent abuse with the lack of nurturing and an unstable environment. These same children often have unmet
Maximizing the accessibility of foster care sectors would allow for substantial attention to more foster care children, leading to better mental health in an average foster care child. Furthermore, local institutions could be allowed more flexibility in terms of federal funding usage, which could result in a more centralized focus on providing the best outcomes for children involved in foster care. Changes in current policies, such as the aforementioned ASFA, would additionally aid in lessening the unclarity in cases and allow for a greater focus on the well-being of children. Removing children from unfit environments must be done at a faster rate and within maximum reasoning. Children are the future, and we need to attempt to help the future be the best it can