Problems in Foster Care free essay sample

The ideal foster care system is very beneficial because it helps keep children that â€Å"have no place else to go† (du Pont, 48) out of the streets and in safe, protective, loving, family environments, and the people that worked in this system cared more about the children’s well-being, then maybe the foster care system would be as beneficial as it’s supposed to be. Plus the many problems with corruption, families, and disorders the children get don’t get enough attention drawn to them and the help they need isn’t provided. Therefore this comes to the conclusion that, the ideal foster care system can be achieved if the many issues and problems revolving around and within this system are resolved. Corruption has one of the lead and starring roles within foster care. It shouldn’t be this way but it is. Bribery is a large part of the corruption. For instance families are getting paid to take in drug-addicted and mentally handicapped babies. The government pays the families for three months just to secure a spot for them to be taken in; then these families get paid so much money per month for however long the babies are in their care, (Adoption, 44). In reality most of these foster â€Å"families† wouldn’t be taking in these children and babies if they weren’t getting paid. Another thing, the state by federal law gets paid money for moving children out of the system and placing them wherever just to say that they’re out. It doesn’t matter where they end up just as long as they get written and documented as out of the system, (du Pont, 47). These people that are in charge that are in charge do not care if the children are put into a worse situation or if they’re still alive and well because as long as they’re getting that bonus money they don’t care. Even if it means a child is in harm or possibly dead. â€Å" the Secretary shall make a grant to each State that is an incentive-eligible State for a fiscal year in an amount equal to the adoption incentive payment payable to the State under this section for the fiscal year, which shall be payable in the immediately succeeding fiscal year† (Adoption and Safe Families Act [1997]). This all ties into the laws, these laws are to some extent beneficial to children in foster care, but these laws benefit the government and foster parents more than anything. An example would be the New Jersey Program that basically bribes the foster parents (Adoption, 43, 44). Conna Craig was quoted saying, â€Å"Five steps forward and two steps back, which is net gain but federal law doesn’t yet fully meet the needs of children† (du Pont, 48). What Ms. Craig meant was that the foster care system’s reforms may be a little bit better but are still not at the levels they should be. Sometimes the states find loop holds that they can still acquire money. For example, the states can still be paid even if the jobs aren’t done correctly. Conna Craig makes another very good point, â€Å"If the states don’t do the job they shouldn’t get the money† (du Pont, 45). Corruption apparently plays a bigger role than what most realize and don’t care to notice. Family is supposed to â€Å"provide the kind of care and nurture that is essential to well-being† (Bartholet, 1). In the foster care system this isn’t usually the case with some foster families. The families get paid a set rate every month to take care of the child or children in their homes. So the truth is that most of them only do it for the money. If the money is cut out of the equation then there would be a major drop in the foster families, because they wouldn’t be getting paid (Canon). Texas is a prime example, when the recession hit cuts had to be made to some things and the foster care system was going to be targeted. Well the legislature realized that if the payment of the families was cut then the number of families would be on the decline (Canon). Adoptions are another problem. The adoptions cost a lot of money. Also there is more focus on reuniting the families no matter how harmful the situation (du Pont, 47). Plus the children’s parents rarely receive the help they need to change and become the caring and loving parents that are desired. Although there is a plus side, the adoptions `prevent some psychological damages. Like anything negatives are also included. Siblings are more times than not separated. This separation isn’t by choice either; it’s the just that the government doesn’t care enough to keep what family is left together. Abuse and neglect sometimes take place more in foster homes especially if the foster child is of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender {LGBT} sexuality. A study showed that out of the two hundred forty six families only twenty-one would welcome a LGBT foster child into their homes. Homophobia is one of the main reasons the abuse and neglect start (Canon). Having a LBGT child shouldn’t freak people out to the point that abuse has to start. The LBGT foster children in group homes have reported a higher amount of verbal harassment. In addition, seventy percent of the LGBT children have reported much physical violence as well. Things like being punched, slapped, kicked, and etcetera are all forms of physical abuse (Canon). That means foster families shouldn’t be as glorified as they are because with all of these problems they don’t deserve to be looked upon as heroes. Foster children face many challenges in their lives. Secure attachment is when infants and young children have a loving care giver consistently responding to the needs they have (â€Å"Insecure Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder†). These early bonds help the growth of development, trust, and the ability to build relationships. If this early bond is broken, then insecure attachment disorders occur. This is because when a baby is born, it is completely helpless so he or she relies on a care taker. The infant depends on the mother to feed and nurture and protect, but when all of that is taken away from the equation, the insecure attachment forms (â€Å"Insecure Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder†). These children who have the insecure attachments have learned that the world isn’t safe and don’t have the necessary experiences that are crucial to have confidence and fell confident in themselves (â€Å"Insecure Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder†). Children with this disorder will most likely have difficulties learning, may be aggressive and misbehave, be extremely clingy, have challenges making friends, suffer from anxiety or depression, or be delayed developmentally (â€Å"Insecure Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder†). In many cases the doctors misdiagnose these children with having ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyper-Activity Disorder, or Autism because the symptoms are so similar (â€Å"Insecure Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder†). Forty to eight-four percent of children in the foster care system have some sort of mental health disability. These numbers are so high in range because of the issues the children have faced in their lives; they have trouble dealing with trauma caused by the events in their lives that brought them into the system (Austin). The children are dealing with the monstrous loss of family, and in most cases the child blames his or her self for being taken away from their family (Austin). Even though a large number of these children need mental health care, studies show that only about less than one-third attain the services they need most. One reason is that there is a lack of well-trained and experienced mental health professionals aren’t available to these children who need it. They need professionals that can deal specifically with the trauma caused by the losses in the children’s lives, (Austin). Only about three percent of mental health providers work with the children in the foster care system, (Austin). Children who are abruptly taken away from their parents and siblings can become parentified. This is when the child becomes worried about the parents and maybe even siblings. This worry is like when a parent worries about the safety and well-being of their child. This in turn causes the children to act like or become little adults making them worry that their parents and siblings may not survive without them. This all adds to the distress â€Å"UPenn Collaborative†. Educationally, these children face many difficulties as well. Frequent moves and already being very vulnerable impacts the performance levels in school, the frequent moves in result mean many missed days of school. As well as affecting their comfort levels in school (Bruskas). Another thing is that the credits sometimes don’t transfer over to the next school. The records may also be lost in the transfer making the transition from school to school a challenge, (Bruskas). These children are facing so many challenges and difficulties in their lives. Foster care is a place for children who have nowhere else that is safe to go in their lives (du Pont, 48). This system has its ups and downs, mostly downs and will take loads of reformation to be as effective as it needs to be to be fully beneficial for the children in the most need of saving. The corruption needs to stop, some of the families need to change, and the children need more help dealing with the emotional and physical issues they have. When all this is done then, can it say that the foster care system is entirely effective (du Pont, 48). This is why the foster care system has many problems that need to be resolved before it can be called effective.