6 May 2011
Foster Care: The Bad the Good and the Solution
The father is an alcoholic, the mother is perfectly fine and the child shows no signs of abuse, neglect or foul treatment; however Dad came to school intoxicated one day, now as a social worker you have to get involved and decide what to do. RRRemoving the child from the home has to be the best idea right? The home is unsafe and the child is in danger t the best idea must be foster care. However did you consider the effect that would have on that young child? Did you perhaps consider that yes, one parent is a mess b b ut the rest of the house is perfectly fine and that child loves their home life? Now some people might argue that one parent being a mess is enough reason, but I am not convinced. In some situations foster care is an absolute must, but in some cases foster care is not and it can ultimately destroy a child and families’ life. As a social worker you have to go into the home and determine whether or not it is a safe environment for the child. However, what qualifies as unsafe and what constitutes the decision to place a young one into foster care? And once that decision has been made, how do you continue your role while they are in the care of strangers? Do you observe their behavior, their adjustment or are they placed there and left until further notice?
Foster care is majorly negative on a young child’s being. It greatly affects their social, emotional and behavioral self. The changes and separation cause imbalance and a sense of being unwanted. In the eyes of you and the system in which you work, foster care is supposed to solve the negative things in a child’s life. It is designed to move them from negative environments, from abusive homes and places that just are not safe until their family can either fix their situation or until they lose their parental rights and the child remains in foster care or gets adopted. In your eyes, it is problem...