Identify the gaps in your state foster care system that contribute to the idea that foster care is harmful to children
Child Welfare Response
Respond by Day 6 to at least two colleagues by offering an insight for the comparison of benefits and shortfalls of permanency planning and family preservation your colleagues described based on your state’s child welfare policies.
Support your response with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.
Colleague 1: Iesha
Post an explanation of the role of family preservation in child welfare.
Family preservation is important in the child welfare process. “Family preservation, a variation of family therapy, has the greatest potential for enhancing child welfare because it focuses on the whole family rather than the individual child” (Meyer-Emerick, 2004, p. 244). Family preservation focuses on improving the family instead of removing the child from the family.
Explain whether research supports the assumption that foster care is harmful for children.
There is research that supports the assumption that foster care is harmful for children. This article “suggest that when children are removed from their parents’ care and brought into foster care, the attachment the children had with their parents is severed, further disrupting the development of trust and intimacy” (Marquis, Leschied, Chiodo, O’Neill, 2008, p. 9). Foster care causes development issues in the children. Many foster care children experience rage, grief, and anxiety after being taken away from their family.
Identify the gaps in your state foster care system that contribute to the idea that foster care is harmful to children
In the state of South Carolina, the main gap in the foster care system is the available space. South Carolina is currently short more than 1,000 foster homes (Sausser, 2019). Due to this shortage the lead paint regulations were ended. Many families couldn’t foster due to the lead paint in their homes. I believe that due to the shortage a lot of children will be placed in homes not suitable for them. DSS is also offering more money to families who want to participate in the foster care program to place more children. I believe this will be harmful to children because people will be fostering for the money and not the overall well being of the child.
Compare the benefits and shortfalls of permanency planning and family preservation. Finally, provide a description of whether you prefer the permanency or the family preservation approach as a child welfare social worker and why you prefer it.
The main benefit with family preservation is keeping the family together. Focusing on the family instead of just the child continues to keep the bond between parent and child. Providing family therapy will help parents to communicate properly versus becoming overwhelmed. A lot of children are taken from parents not because they are bad parents but because the parents are overwhelmed (Meyer-Emerick, 2004). I prefer the family preservation approach because families need to stay together. If it was possible for families to seek therapy and resolve the issues that they have then that should be the first step. Enrolling the parents in classes and family therapy can help the parents to become better parents to their children. The state of South Carolina is already experiencing a shortage of foster care families. Many children are in the system with no place to go. If we can eliminate those numbers by working with the family then that solves an old age problem.
References
Meyer-Emerick, N. (2004). Failed Child Welfare Policy: Family Preservation and the Orphaning
of Child Welfare. (book). Administrative Theory & Praxis (Administrative Theory & Praxis), 26(2), 244–248. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1080/108…
Marquis RA, Leschied AW, Chiodo D, & O’Neill A. (2008). The relationship of child neglect
and physical maltreatment to placement outcomes and behavioral adjustment in children In foster care: a Canadian perspective. Child Welfare, 87(5), 5–25.
Sausser, L., (2019). SC is short more than 1000 foster homes so dss has started paying families
more. Post and Courier. Postandcourier.com/news/sc-is-short-more-than-1-000-foster-homes-so-dss-has-started-paying-families/article
Colleague 2: Marilyn
Post an explanation of the role of family preservation in child welfare: Family preservation services are short-term, family-focused services designed to assist families in crisis by improving parenting and family functioning while keeping children safe:
Family preservation services grew out of the recognition that children need a safe and stable family and that separating children from their families is traumatic for them, often leaving lasting negative effects. These services build upon the conviction that many children can be safely protected and treated within their own homes when parents are provided with services and support that empower them to change their lives.
Explain whether research supports the assumption that foster care is harmful for children, as presented by the cornerstone argument for family preservation. Be sure to include whether you agree with this assumption and why you agree or disagree:
Research is supported by assumption that foster care is harmful for children. According to Children’s Right’s: “Many of America’s child welfare systems are badly broken — and children can suffer serious harm as a result. Some will be separated from their siblings. Others will be bounced from one foster care placement to another, never knowing when their lives will be uprooted next. Too many will be further abused in systems that are supposed to protect them. And instead of being safely reunified with their families — or moved quickly into adoptive homes — many will languish for years in foster homes or institutions (Children’s Right’s,2020)”. I disagree with this assumption, I feel like the social worker should take all steps to help the child stay with the family, such as parenting classes, and all other programs to ensure they are not mistreating the child, because it would definitely damage the child going into a foster care, because what if the foster parent mistreats the child, it happens all the time. So, the social worker should take the steps to help the parent keep the child, if the parent is unfitting the child should be placed with a relative. I know in my state the first step DSS workers will place the child with a relative first.
Identify the gaps in your state foster care system that contribute to the idea that foster care is harmful to children:
In the state of South Carolina, residual effects that widespread problems – such as excessive caseloads, the failure to provide kids with basic health care and the shortage of foster homes – have on children and families(Brabham,2020).
Compare the benefits and shortfalls of permanency planning and family preservation:
Family preservation was the movement to help keep children at home with their families rather than in foster homes or institutions. Permanency planning is an act that directs federal fiscal incentives toward permanency planning objectives-namely, the development of preventive and reunification services and adoption subsidies (Popple, Leighninger,2019).
Finally, provide a description of whether you prefer the permanency or the family preservation approach as a child welfare social worker and why you prefer it
In my opinion, I would rather consider family preservation , because this policy helps keeps children at home with their families and also provide resources to enhance a parent parenting skills. This would harm a child physically and mentally, making them live with a stranger and if the stranger is worse in foster care, I have seen it happen before. Always remember to look out for the child’s safety and well-being.
References:
Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2019). The policy-based profession: An introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Chapter 10, “Child Welfare: Family Preservation Policy” (pp. 214-244)
Brabham, Dione (2020): Why I am fighting to improve Foster Care in South Carolina
www.childrensrights.org › my-experiences-in-foster-care
subject: Masters Social Science
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