FOSTER CARE

Foster Care: Transition into Adulthood

Foster Care: Transition into Adulthood

Introduction

Foster care denotes a situation in which an individual is cared for outside the parental home, in an individual family, group setting, or other children's institution. Although many youngsters may spend their entire childhood in foster care, this situation is not intended to be permanent. It is estimated that one in twenty American children will at some time need the special help offered by foster care, even for a short period. Foster care services come under the heading of child welfare, which is concerned with the well being of children and problems of child-rearing, such as abuse, neglect, abandonment, and teenage pregnancy.

Foster care has a long worldwide history. Ancient Jewish custom put relatives in charge of orphaned minor children. The Catholic Church in Europe placed abandoned youngsters in facilities as early as the fourth century. Elizabethan Poor Laws, passed in 1601 during the reign of England's Elizabeth I, placed dependent minors in so-called poorhouses, or created an indenture system whereby they worked for their keep. The New York Children's Aid Society was established in 1853; however, nationwide laws to determine standards for care did not exist, and children were often poorly treated. Public agencies and religious groups set up orphanages, but it was not until 1909 in a White House Conference on Children that care was directed toward the individual child (Paul-Ward 2009, pp. 81-88). The Children's Bureau was established, now part of the Department of Health and Human Services, heading federal programs dealing with foster care. Numerous child welfare agencies now exist at various federal, state, and voluntary levels.

Today there are more than 130,000 licensed foster families in the United States. These families are supervised by child welfare agencies and paid for the basic needs of the child in their care. Some families spend their entire lives caring for foster children, and some eventually adopt them. Some offer only emergency care, for example, a few nights or weeks of shelter for a homeless teenager. Social workers conduct home studies of foster families before they are allowed to care for children.

Transitioning from Foster Care

The primary program that supports youth during this transition is the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, commonly known as the Chafee Act, after the late Senator John Chafee, an advocate for foster youth. The act provides $140 million in funding per year. The funding provides services (mental health services, life skills, mentoring, employment preparation, education, and others), stipends for housing, and extended Medicaid eligibility through age 21 at state option.

Need and justification for study: Why are we doing this study?

After detailed review of existing literature the study will present the problems children of foster care encounter during the period of transitioning to adulthood.

Significance of the research to the field of occupational therapy

This paper will seek to analyze the current literature and Governmental guidance to identify and clarify the rationale for foster cares needing to complete the children's transition to adulthood in a specified ...