An Essay on Foster Care

Foster care is a complex topic. Most people do not fully understand what foster care is. David Pelzer, a foster child and author, says that he is always grateful to “The System,” which many in society criticize (Pelzer 305). “Children aged birth to twenty-one may need foster care for just a few days, or may be in placement for longer than a year” (www.fostercare.com). People should be educated on what foster care is, what it is like, and how to help. Foster care is, according to the National Adoption Center, “...a temporary arrangement in which adults provide for the care of a child or children whose birthparent is unable to care for them” (www.adopt.org). There is more to foster care than most people think. Foster care is a place of escape

Foster kids are more likely to experience health problems and often do not receive normal physical examinations. Families should accept foster kids and treat them as though they are their own. Foster families should be good influences on foster children. Foster care associations always want foster kids to find permanent homes. The goal for a foster kid is most often to reunite with the birthfamily, but can change to adoption if it is in the child’s best interest (www.adopt.org). People should know that these associations are always looking for permanent homes for foster kids. When a child enters foster care, the birthparents’ rights are terminated and the child is free for adoption (www.adopt.org). Children are always up for adoption and there are people who want to help them. The public often misinterprets what foster care really is. It is an important system to thousands of people. Foster care is a safe haven for abused children, or any children who wish to be removed from their

Good foster parents are unbiased, patient, trustworthy, and willing. Flexibility, tolerance, and teamwork are other important qualities (www.fostercare.com). Also, “Foster parents must be at least twenty-one years old, pass background clearances, and be in good physical health” (www.fostercare.com). Many people who wish to be foster parents believe that they have no choice as to what kind of child is placed in their home. Actually, foster parents do have a choice on what kind of child is placed in their home (thechildrenarewaiting.org). Some people who want to be foster parents also believe that they must provide medical insurance fo the children. Foster parents actually do not have to pay for any treatment besides household remedies (thechildrenarewaiting.org). A similar way to help is to be a respite worker. “Respite care workers provide parents and other caregivers with short-term child care services that offer temporary relief, improve family stability, and reduce the risk of abuse or neglect” (www.adoptuskids.org). Foster parents and respite workers are most commonly thought of when the topic of foster care comes