The Foster Care System Is A Growing Problem With The Problem Of Trauma And Educational Needs

The Foster Care System with the kids who are in it is a massive social issue that America is facing today. There are more than 640,000 foster children in the United States every year. There are 23,000 foster children living in group homes at one time. There are 32,000 who live in institutions, and twenty-seven states do not meet federal abuse and neglect standards. (Attention) Personally, I am a foster sister, because my family currently fosters. Therefore, we see the issues and needs of fostering, daily. (Rapport and Credibility) This speech will discuss the importance of the nature of foster care, the catastrophic problems of foster care, and the proposed solution for the foster care system in America. (Preview)

The author, Nina Biehal, tells of the treatment in foster care and the need for correction in her article, "Maltreatment in Foster Care: A review of the evidence." The author gives many facts about how the government needs to change the level of care provided for the children. This article is more of a constant reminder of how much still needs to change and the level of care offered to children of abuse today. Unlike the article by authors Kristen Turney and Christopher Wilderman, which bases their article on the number of children in foster care receiving mental health care, Biehal gives evidence to support the problems that result from being in foster care. My essay can use this article to paint a picture of the number of children in detrimental conditions and how foster care developed problems with their system to support my argument.

Most youth in foster care have traumatic family histories and life experiences (including the removal from their birth family) that result in an increased risk for mental health disorders. A study of children in foster care revealed that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed in 60% of sexually abused children and in 42% of the physically abused children (Dubner & Motta, 1999). The study also found that 18% of foster children who had not experienced either type of abuse had PTSD, possibly because of exposure to domestic or community violence (Marsenich, 2002).

During the time when children are in the foster care system it's essential to have all data incorporating the arrangement issues with adolescents. Future research recommend that factual systems are utilized to encourage incorporate position encounters to uncover factors obviously prompting disturbance. Blome, W. W. (n.d.). What Happens to Foster Kids: Educational Experiences of a Random Sample of Foster Care Youth and a Matched Group of Non-Foster Care

Youth aging out of foster care are one of the most disadvantaged populations in the United States. Unlike other young people in the general population who continue to live with family and receive support and financial assistance, foster youth transitioning into adulthood often struggle just to obtain and maintain general needs. Apart from the trauma associated with the history of abuse or neglect, foster youth are put in a circumstance that expect them to become independent and self-sufficient immediately as they prepare to transition out of foster care. According to Courtney, Dworsky, Lee, and Raap, young people formerly in foster care, compared to the general population, experience significantly different outcomes in areas of education, employment,

Helping these vulnerable children access the services, interaction, and the stability needed for them to grow-up to being successful members of society can be provided with foster placement. If the process is well planned and if the foster parents are given adequate support, the foster care system can be a valuable resource for abused and neglected children (Crosson-Tower, 2014, p. 321).

Unfortunately, this is the cold, sad reality of many children and teens who have been thrown into the system like a piece of meat for the wolves to devour. I have decided to write about the issues of foster care and the abuse children and teens face while moving through this broken system. Over the past years, I have developed a passion to intercede on behalf of our youth. I want to help them navigate through a life filled with turmoil and discord. I chose this topic because I want to make a difference in the lives of these mistreated, misunderstood, and misguided children and teens. One might ask, “How can we fix such a system with these particular problems?” Although I may not have the “right” answer to that question, I do believe there is a way to repair the massive leak that has caused a system meant to serve and protect our youth to

Individuals most commonly alumni of foster care will report these mental health concerns because of the maltreatment and effects that the transitions may have on children’s development. The following study conducted by Mental Health Care suggests illness and the rate of children who entered the foster care system versus one who have not. For example, 3.6 percent of the general adult population is diagnosed with panic disorder compared to 11.4 percent of foster care alumni. Another mental illness which shows significant increase in foster care alumni is post-traumatic stress disorder. With a 17 percent increase in the alumni this disease claims 21.5 percent of the alumni population (“Mental Health Care”). Given the research, it is unarguable that the number of alumni diagnosed compared to the percentage of the adult population is much

The development of foster care systems has long been an issue in the United States. It was developed as sort of a safe haven for children to go when their family life and environmental conditions were not in the best interests of the child (Lawrence, Carlson, and Egeland, 2006). As of the year 2010, there were more than 400,000 youths in the United States who were placed into foster homes (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). There are a number of factors that have been associated with an idea as to why so many children are placed into foster homes. Some of these factors include drug/sexual abuse, physical abuse/neglect, and researchers have even questioned poverty as a potential factor. Many of the researchers found that out of all the studies they performed, the majority of the children who entered the foster care system to begin with was because one or more guardian(s) had abused or neglected the child (Oswald, Heil, and Goldbeck, 2010). According to a controlled evaluation of child neglect, neglect refers to any situation where the child does not receive the proper supervision (maybe a dangerous environment), medical attention (the child is hurt or sick), and any form of physical, verbal, and educational care they need in a guardian (Donohue et al., 2014). Child abuse can refer to any situation where the child is in physical danger or encounters physical harm for unknown and unnecessary reasons. Some research has been completed while other studies are

Solutions need to be provided that help these young people with assistance for the transition out of foster care and into being responsible adults. “Understanding what practices and services realize positive outcomes for this cohort of at-risk youth who are transitioning from care to adulthood is essential to helping them successfully manage this transition and achieve the best possible outcomes” (Dewar, 2014). Therefore, the purpose of the proposed research is to investigate and provide solutions and ideas that embody continuous investment in our youth in foster care. The ultimate goal, though, is to provide guidance and assistance to every youth transitioning out of foster care and help them become independent and thriving adults. The research will also serve as a catalyst to stimulate conversations and provide valuable information for every foster care

The participants of this study were 11 current and former foster children who graduated from high school and are pursuing a postsecondary education. There were five males and six females, and two were African American, seven were white and two were Hispanic. All participants are from Oregon, and were selected because they applied for the Chafee Education and Training Scholarship for Fall 2011. Morton (2016) solicited the participants from the Chafee Education and Training Scholarship to ensure the participants had had similar foster care experiences (Morton, 2016).

All throughout the world, there are children who are being neglected, abused, and uncared for in their household. As human beings, we sometimes do not realize the number of children being taken out of their homes and put into foster care. Why? The problem is that many people do not know what foster care is or have very little knowledge of it. In this speech, you will be given a better understanding of the foster care history, reasons coming into care, types of placement, and aging out.

The foster care system has been around for generations, constantly adjusting the system to modernize it. But there’s been a loss of protection in the system through these last few years. The foster care system needs to change because children are being placed in unsafe environments, funding is going in unnecessary places, the adoption process has some discouraging qualifications, and education in the system doesn’t have a huge importance.

Various researchers (for example Benbenishty, Siegel and Astor (2017) have carried out studies on the youth and foster care and come up with different research findings. In their study on school-related experiences of adolescents in foster care,

First, understanding the importance of a family, the definition of foster children and how they affect one another is important. Then visualizing the effect on child’s education after they’ve become a foster child is also vital. In addition, examining what others think of them may be also necessary. Why? If we can identify all the possible problems, it will be easier for us to track down an accurate solution without having a ‘what if’ situation. This will allow us to take more responsibility towards our own actions regarding how we can treat foster children in a certain situation. Lastly, learning what foster parents can do in order to enhance the quality of their family may open up a new path to a joyful and successful foster family.