Discussion Response- Foster Care

Discussion Response- Foster Care

Hello,

This is a great post. I agree with the various purposes of foster care within the child welfare system that you gave. In addition, I would like to add that the foster care system also serves to provide individualized care and treatment to children. Accordingly, each child admitted into foster care has unique experiences and needs, and the foster care recognizes this; as such, it aims to provide tailored treatment to each child’s needs. Secondly, I also agree with you that it is important for children in foster care to stay in contact with their birth parents, but only under the right conditions. A child’s well-being is of the utmost importance, and if contact with the birth parents threatens that, then it should be prevented. Thirdly, the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 did have a positive impact on the adoption process. The Act was implemented after various shortcomings in the foster care system, including an increase in the number of children in foster care and child abuse cases like that of Erik Dawood. The main goal was to double adoptions by 2002 and reduce the number of children in foster care. Last, yet importantly, kinship care is a better opportunity for children separated from their families than foster care. A study conducted by Waddoups, Yoshikawa & Strouf (2019) found that separation between a child and parent leads to developmental issues, especially if the separation is prolonged.

References

Waddoups, A. B., Yoshikawa, H., & Strouf, K. (2019). Developmental effects of parent-child separation. Annual Review of Developmental Psychology, 1, 387-410.

Responding to Lavorci

Hello,

Thank you for your post. I agree with you that the ultimate goal of the foster care system is to improve the outcomes for children who, unfortunately, have been removed from their homes. These outcomes can vary between finding guardianship or kinship care, adoption, or reunification with their own family. Secondly, when it comes to the question of whether a child in foster care should keep in contact with their birth parents, the answer should always be on the effect that the contact has on the child’s well-being. There are numerous studies supporting both sides of the argument. However, caseworkers and foster parents have stated that this kind of contact is usually disruptive, leading to behavioral issues and threats to the children’s coping and adaptation in their homes (McWey, Acock & Porter, 2010).

Further, I concur with you that the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 had a significant positive impact on reducing the large number of children in foster care, especially by preventing removal and promoting reunification. One of the main reasons foster care children increased back in the 1990s was because the courts were terminating parental rights without judiciously addressing the issue of permanency. Finally, kinship care is indeed a better option compared to foster care mainly because it increases placement permanency on top of helping conserve family connections.

References

McWey, L. M., Acock, A., & Porter, B. E. (2010). The impact of continued contact with biological parents upon the mental health of children in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(10), 1338-1345.

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1. Purpose of Foster Care within the Child Welfare System

Discussion Response- Foster Care

Foster care serves as a temporary arrangement for children who cannot live with their biological parents due to safety concerns, neglect, abuse, or when parents are unable to care for their children for various reasons. The primary aim is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment. In the best scenarios, foster care is a supportive setting where children receive care while social workers and the courts work towards family reunification or finding a permanent solution such as adoption.