Foster Child Case Study

Depending on the child’s age, they could feel out of place and not fit in with their new family. Furthermore there are laws and regulations in place to keep the children in foster care safe and well accounted for, but sometimes, these laws get in the way of regular family life. Since there are rules for foster parents or caregivers, some foster families cannot engage in particular activities. As a foster parent, Shannon Hernandez found that “even a camping trip for one night as little as 30 miles away or a weekend trip to a different city, both routine things for families to do and positive experiences for children. The rules governing this type of activity by caregivers may require the approvals of the social worker, the biological parents, the parents' attorneys, and the child's attorney” (Hernández).

The children may not be able to form an attachment with the care givers or foster

Laura Finley states, “Indeed, restoration of the family is achieved in over half the cases of foster care, according to federal statistics. Where this is not possible, permanent adoption is the goal with about twenty percent of foster children. Other children are simply waiting until emancipation…” (Jacobs and Finley). The issue with this view on the foster care system is that its completely sugar coated.

Life skills should be taught to the children in preparation for the future. Foster care is meant to normalize the child’s life as much as possible and give help where it is needed. Although the intent of the foster care system is protecting neglected children, it may be causing

In addition to the maltreatment of children in foster care, another issue that arises is that children are moved from one foster care home to another on an average of every six weeks (NCANDS, 2012). With the changes in the caregivers of children in foster care experience, the more likely they are to exhibit oppositional behavior, crying, and clinging. With that being said, in 2012, 23,396 youth aged out of the U.S. foster care system without the emotional and financial support necessary to succeed. Nearly 40% had been homeless or couch surfed, nearly 60% of young men had been convicted of a crime, and only 48% were employed. Seventy-five percent of women and 33% of men receive government benefits to meet basic needs.

The foster care system shatters like broken glass and there is no repair for broken glass. Permanent damage can only be fixed with drastic solutions, redesigning the system is the method to follow. Foster parents go through hardships and trials while trying to adopt children. Children need stability and the parents willing to give them that they cannot be with forever. A reason for a shattered system is the result of a shattered admissions process.

Minors in care show certain themes that can damage their reputation in adulthood. Acknowledged by Ainsworth and Hansen, movement of homes while being in care puts children at risk to someday be placed as a juvenile offender, become a parent at a young age, and to endure poor educational achievement. Thirty-eight percent of males and thirty-nine percent of females in detention have a history of being in foster care services (89). Ainsworth and Hansen also report that there are a number of fosters who are under seventeen years old and are pregnant or getting someone else pregnant (89). Allen S. Barton and James S Vacca, authors of ¨Bring Back Orphanages-

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

Today, children in foster care can be placed in several different types of foster homes (Reuters, 2014). One type of home is the single foster family of one or more parents who cares for up to six foster children in their home with their own biological or adopted children (Reuters, 2014). Another type of foster care is the group home. Historically, group foster homes were rife with abuse of children. Currently, they are better regulated and monitored than in the past (Reuters, 2014).

Foster care is not a perfect system. Many children that are put into the foster care system are separated from their siblings and put into harmful environments. These environments are supposed to be safe and give the child a chance at a better life. However, children living in group homes are not able to develop secure attachment to the people who are supposed to take care of them. Children bounce back and forth from house to house, family to family, causing them to live in an unstable environment through most (if not all of) their child hood.

A big problem in the system that they fail to see is abuse. Abuse can be done emotionally, sexually and physically also mistreatment and neglect, all done by these certified state caregivers. Liftingtheevil.org cites the "troubling statistics from one study, claiming that over 28% of the children in state care are abused while in the system"(2017). There are many stories of abuse, and the abuse comes from the foster parents. We expect the children to be placed in safe homes.

Experiencing rejection and parental unavailability can cause, children develop behavioral patterns that have negative consequences for social-emotional development. Multi placement in foster care is linked, to poor social functioning as well as, emotional difficulties. There are also negative impacts on child behavior when there are multiple placement changes. It makes it hard for children to have a good relationship with their foster parents when they 've, had multiple changes in placement.(Hodges 2156). There are frequent, anxiety and depression diagnoses among foster children.

One in four foster children report physical or psychological abuse by a foster parent every year. Children with disabilities or a past of abuse are at higher risk for maltreatment in their out-of-home-care (Font, 2015). The young child is at the greatest risk for disturbances in the developing brain if their environment lacks stimulating activities that are needed for physical, emotional, and behavioral growth.

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.

Growing up my parents ran a daycare in(at) our house so I was always surrounded by children (the good and the bad). My parents were the type who had no problem enforcing physical punishments such as spanking, the flick of the hand, a pop on the mouth, etc. All these punishments are within the definition of acceptable punishment as stated by Oklahoma law (qtd. ---). They practiced this on me, my siblings, and the daycare kids (with parental consent).