FOSTER CARE

Foster Care Homes

Foster Care Homes

Statement of the problem

The study is essential as it would provide a detailed description of the problems faced by foster children. In this research, we will discuss the social and environmental barriers effecting children existing in foster care. Children enter foster care when they are unable to live safely with their families, usually because of abuse or neglect in the family home.

Introduction

In United States of America approximately 55,000 children are adopted each year and approximately 750,000 children are currently placed in some form of foster care. This vast majority of children (70%) have been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services due to physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, or parental substance abuse. The American Academy of Pediatric recommends but does not require a routine surveillance and developmental screening to ensure that these children are well taken care of in their new homes. As might be expected, because this screening is not required, most providers do not comply with the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) recommendations. Still worse, adherence is low to the recommendations made in those evaluations that are provided (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011).

Research Questions

The research will aim to answer the following research questions:

1.What is the concept of foster care and why children live under foster care?

2.What are the social and economic barriers faced by children in foster care?

Discussion

As noted earlier, approximately 750,000 children in the U.S. are currently placed in some form of foster care (Paul, 2007)and of these 750,000 children, 70% have been removed from their homes by Child Protective Services due to physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, or parental substance abuse (Jeff, 2011). Statistically, 10% of the cases involving childhood abuse and neglect in the general population are, in fact, substantiated, indicating that the children removed from parental care are a very high-risk population.

Clearly, the vast majority of children taken from their homes and placed into foster care enter the system with serious trauma histories (Newton, 2000). These histories may have an effect on all levels of functionality, which manifest in physical, mental, and psychological issues. Because these children are already at such a high risk, when they are placed in foster care, they are required to receive psychological, developmental, and medical assessments with the goal of addressing each child's individual needs followed by appropriate recommendations of care.

Foster Carers

Foster carers must be made aware of potential risks to the safety of young people, such as parental abduction or challenging behaviours. Yet we must also use our professional intuition to allow foster carers the freedom to manage placements and gain satisfaction from making decisions on their own. We must trust them. At the same time, we must not ignore situations that are clearly risky or when foster carers make serious errors in judgement. One way to help foster carers understand a social work perspective on risks might be to incorporate more training on legislation into foster carer training. Understanding the legal perspective may allow foster carers to perceive questions about ...