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Adolescents In Foster Care

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Children and adolescents in foster care represent a highly traumatized population and are at an elevated risk of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These youths experience a wide range of trauma ranging from familial separation, physical/emotional/sexual abuse, neglect, bereavement, and domestic/community violence. As of September 30, 2014, there were approximately 415,129 children placed in foster care (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). The number of children entering the foster care system has dramatically increased in recent decades, and research suggests the surge is due to the rising number of neglect cases associated with parental drug/alcohol abuse, poverty, homelessness, AIDS, and domestic violence …show more content…

SPARCS incorporates elements of CBT with a focus on mindfulness and problem-solving skills (De Rosa et. al., 2006). The intervention consists an average of 16 weekly group sessions that are about an hour in length. As adolescents increasingly value autonomy and independence during this stage of life, the influence of peer groups intensifies dramatically. Thus, a group intervention such as SPARCS may be especially powerful for this population and allow youths to connect with peers that are often experiencing similar traumas. Facilitators often report that members express feeling validated simply upon hearing the histories of other group members (NCTSN, …show more content…

Specifically, youths produced significant changes on subscales measuring conduct problems, inattention/hyperactivity, somatic complaints, high-risk behaviors, and interpersonal relationships (Weiner, Schneider, & Lyons, 2009). Encouraging results were also found in an EBP Pilot Program conducted by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in conjunction with The Mental Health Services and Policy Program at Northwestern University. The study found that adolescents in foster care receiving SPARCS were half as likely to run away, and one-fourth less likely to experience placement interruptions compared to a standard of care group. Youths displayed significant improvements in intrapersonal distress, somatic symptoms, interpersonal relations, social problems, and behavioral dysfunction in Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ) scores. In the UCLA PTSD Reaction Index score, adolescents showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms such as re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyper-arousal post intervention (Northwestern University,

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The following is a case study for Anamalia, Kokomalu and Eloni, a family that has been torn apart due to the aggressive nature of Eloni, who has physically abused his younger brother, has been suspended from school temporarily for attempting to stab a fellow classmate and is showing signs of substance abuse. Eloni has been placed in foster care and the family has been referred to counseling. During Eloni’s counseling sessions it was discovered that he was abused by his previous step-father and is showing signs of PTSD. Impact It has been shown that children that are placed in foster care or torn from their families experience a lack of trust for their parents.

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The Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) works towards the safety, stability, and well being for individuals who have experienced or been exposed to violence, neglect and/or trauma. The FYSB provides many programs and services that help families and youth who desperately need help. A few of their programs include: The National Runaway Switchboard, The Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Center (RHYTTAC), Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, and many others. Each of these programs focus directly on helping those who need resources to get them back on their feet and recover from traumatic events that might have occurred in their life or might currently be going

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Once the foster parents feel that they can not control the child's emotional outbursts, or misbehaving, they become disconnected. “Other child welfare authors have documented the intrapsychic conflict that many foster care children experience as a result of traumatic separation from biological parents. This conflict is often manifest by expressed or observed feeling of guilt, rejection, abandonment and shame” (Gonzales). The foster parents begin to feel helpless, which can lead them to stop caring for the child, causing more emotional detachment for the

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Introduction For this last assignment which is my signature assignment, I was asked to develop an envisioned methodology and design for my dissertation research topic based on the research problem, purpose, and previous research courses, and then write a research paper to identify the strengths and weaknesses of my envisioned method and design. Within this research topic I will discuss foster children. There is a great number of individuals that have experience foster care at some time or another in their lives. Some of those individuals such as myself actually grew up in foster care and because of that experience sent my life in a different direction than it was headed.

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According to a Child Protective Investigation, there are approximately half a million children in the U.S. foster care system, otherwise known as congregate care (group homes and institutions). Children are placed in congregate care when they are found to be in an unsafe environment. Usually children of abuse or maltreatment are placed first (Font, 2015). Out-of-home-care causes increased problems of attachment, behavioral, and psychological disorders in the developing child. Child safety is the primary goal of out-of-home-care; however, maltreatment investigations are still reported in those institutions.

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According to Crosson-Tower (2010), children enter foster care for causes such as but not limited to physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, domestic violence, substance abuse, and physical or mental illness of parents. In addition, she states that the death of parents can cause a child to enter foster care if no available relatives could undertake their care. Many of these causes of child maltreatment may also come from parents who are poor, uneducated, and experienced childhood trauma (Crosson-Tower, 2010). Therefore, the cycle of child abuse and neglect will continue if not provided the necessary services to prevent and treat the

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a. Foster parents can have an impact on the lives of a foster child by giving them a safe place to stay where they can feel loved and cared for. Foster parents can also provide the love and support that these children need especially if they came from an abused or neglected home. According to (Hasenecz, 2009) there have been several shocking stories about children being abused and neglected while in foster care or even worse reports of social workers who knew of the abuse and neglect and failed to report it or do anything about

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Common misconceptions associated with being in foster care portray youth in the system as orphans. Youth in foster care are supposedly delinquents, and will perform poorly in academics compared to their peers who are not placed in these institutions. In society, these stereotypes are often pretended, but very little people understand the circumstances and factors the youth in the foster care system are facing. Youth in care are often juxtaposed to their community counterparts, to signify the impact of being a ward of the state, rather than being with a family member.

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Have you ever thought about how it feels to be ripped out of the only place that you know as home? To get no explanation of why your parents just did not want you anymore? Not a lot of people think about this. Usually, the only people that do think about this is children that are experiencing or have experienced this problem. The children’s rights website stated that, “On any given day, there are nearly 428,000 children in foster care in the United States.”

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Splitting up sibling relationships in foster care can affect some children to have behavioral problems. With the

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Foster parent report before the visit: The youth had a good night. Alex played with a light that was given to him at the fire prevention event. The youth entered the vehicle asking a lot of questions. I notice Alex was comfortable asking a lot of questions, but does not like when people ask him questions. Alex

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Children in foster care often have a high risk of having developmental problems. Seeing that most children in foster care were, taken away from unfit parents a lot of these children have faced some, type of maltreatment. "Proponents of foster care note that 70– 80% of children in out of home placements have been maltreated in the home of origin..."(Lawrence 58). Because, maltreatment is common before placement, poor development outcomes are a risk. Consequently, foster children are at risk of falling behind in development, and up to 80% of foster children have a developmental problem.(Hodges 2156).

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Special education is also provided for those who need it and recreational and expressive therapies such as art, music, and sports. In additional children are taught life-skill development. They are also provided with medical services, religious activities, psychiatric care, and foster care. The goal behind the various therapies they offer is to encourage the highest quality of trauma-informed treatment services to the youth. The treatment is accomplished through a goal oriented, safe and intensive program that focuses on promoting cognitive-oriented and trauma-informed treatment approaches.

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Literature Review Throughout the years, research has been conducted on the effects that foster care can have on children. In the United States alone, there are roughly 670,000 children who have spent time in the foster care system each year (“Foster Care,” 2017). Of those children, approximately 33% of them age out of foster care system. Studies then show that the foster care system has had varying effects on the children who are/have been a part of it. In many cases, studies have noted the effects of attachment for children in foster care.

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Hundred and forty youth completed the interview and it showed that they have mental health problems like; conduct disorder, depression, fulfillment of the DSM-III criteria for and emotional and behavioral disorder and attempt of suicide (Feitel, Margetson, Chamas, Lipman, 1992). A study was conducted between adolescent runaways and adolescents who never ran away. A self administered questionnaire which was confidential was used. The runaways who were administered in this study indicated that situational stresses affected them through which their functioning was impaired.

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