Every year about 25,000 people turn eighteen in foster care and are forced to stop living in the government’s care. Most of these youth end up in poverty because of a lack of training, experience, and support. Foster care children have low expectations, and are not viewed in the public’s eye as college oriented or successful. The prejudices foster care children must face becomes detrimental to their self- imagine and self –esteem. More than often children that age out of the foster care system do not look for higher education, and end up on the streets homeless.
Our current foster care system is designed to protect children from neglect, abuse, and danger from guardians or parents. The foster care system was no designed to equip children with independency and economic success. This is a major flaw in the system that has yet to be fixed. This issue could actually continue or worsen the cycle of child neglect and increases in foster care populations because of the foster care’s inability to provide programs for the youth on how to deal with life issues. Because of foster care’s flawed system the people that age out are more likely to live in poverty and neglect their own children.
Our communities need to address the foster care’s system and seriously think about its applications and our very own attitudes towards foster care children.
My father grew up an orphan. he swore never to let that happen to his children and he has been a great father. Its interesting that Foster care has such a bad rep because it was really intended to help. Unfortunately, during child developement, consistancy and the ability to excercise "secure attachment" is vital and the fact that many children are bombarded from home to home really messes them up. I believe Foster care would actually be beneficial if it acted more like an adoptive family and had a set pair of children they could care for instead of constantly moving them.
I agree with you. Foster care would be more efficient if they could get people to treat them more like an adoptive family.
the problem is funding and enough families willing to care for the children.
many foster care are just not paid enough to support a happy lifestyle for the foster care child.
most of the damage that comes from foster care is the constant moving from place to place. the child doesn't have a role model nor can trust to be in surrounds and develope long relationships. it is psychologically damaging and prevents the children from moving beyond what is expective of themselves
While foster care wasn't designed to equip the children for life after they leave, that job kind of falls into the foster parents' hands. If people can't teach children, that are essentially given over to them, about life and responsibility, then maybe the selection process of foster parents should change.
Read and comment as you like....http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/starving-musician