Foster Care: Problems and Solutions

The Definition of Foster Care

What is foster care? Foster care is a system in which a minor is placed into a group home, ward, or a private home of a state certified caregiver also called "foster parents'. In order for a minor to be put into foster care the child's environment at home must meet certain criteria in order to be considered ‘unsafe'. In order for CPS to remove a child from their home there must be a court order. Unless, there is a present and immediate threat of sexual abuse and/or physical abuse therefore, leaving the authorities no choice but to remove the child without a court order. When deciding to place a child in foster care many aspects come into play when making the final decision.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Although foster care can be a very controversial topic, it is one that should be discussed. There are many pros and cons about foster care, some pros are the following; the child may get a better housing environment, the child may receive proper nurture, and the child may have a better chance of being content with their life. Some cons about foster care may be that the child reacts negatively because they are being moved to an unfamiliar space and possibly even blindly moving the child to an unsafe environment. Although foster care can help a child immensely, foster care can also have its shady busy just like everything else in this world. To be quite honest, our justice system in the United States right now is in critical condition, therefore foster care is included given that it is part of the government. When a child is being transferred to their new foster home the parents may either truly want a child or neglect the child and only choose to house the individual based upon the benefits given to them as foster parents.

Giving a Voice to Children

Some people may truly want a child to care for but others are just in it for the benefits and money. When dealing with foster care in this day and age we must really pay attention to any little red flags that comes up when dealing with the foster parents. Some children are being taken away from an abusive home and put into a different abusive home, the only difference is now they are now foster parents instead of biological parents. It saddens me to see how children in this day and age are not cared for even inside the foster care system. Children should always be given a voice, just because they are minors does not mean they are numb to emotion or have no say in what is happening to them. Everything that happens to a child in their early life is carried with them forever, they will never forget the pain or hardships they had to endure because of foolish adults that were money hungry and could not perform their job correctly.

Is foster care worth it? To some degree, it is just as to some degree, it is not. Foster care is not the problem, the justice system is. Children should have a voice, children should be believed by a judge, children are allowed to have feelings, they are humans, they feel pain just like us. Studies show that family history such as foster care is the number one cause for suicide. What does this tell you? What does this say about us as a nation? We are setting some of these children up for abuse, rape, violence, and possibly even death and what is most shocking about this is that we still have failed to see it.

Conclusion

If a child is being put into foster care, pay attention to signs and trends of the child. Pay attention to their mental health and body language. A child should not suffer because an adult wants more money. At any first sign of abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and neglect the child should be immediately evaccuated from the home. The point of a foster home is to provide the child with what he or she failed to receive in their biological home. The justice system needs to be fixed and it is up to us to fight for their rights. Children deserve a voice and a happy life, they are just kids, they should not be put inside such harsh conditions for another individuals benefit. Fix the justice system and give children their voice back.