Advantages And Disadvantages Of Foster Care

Black garbage bags, cop cars, social workers who house kids in jail cells overnight. These are pictures that many have of foster care. A broken system that forces innocent children out of their home and into the “arms” of a faceless, governmental process that never actually cares for the child. However, the foster care system was created to help children who had nothing else. There are many benefits to the foster care system, but there are also many drawbacks of foster care. To become a foster parent there are many standards one must reach and rules one must follow to maintain that license. Foster care is an established government agency, that started long ago, within the United States for the purpose of maintaining and protecting children

from a desperate situation whether from dislocation due to parental neglect or abuse to simply being alone in the world with no living (responsible) family on which to rely. While the history and intention of foster care was a benevolent focus on the best interests of every child, the current reality of foster care is a muddled compilation of good intentions and grievous abuse.
Some of the earliest documentation of children being cared for in homes can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. “History of Foster Care in the United States” references how the Bible established caring for children who needed someone, as a duty of law. Early Christian church records show children were put with “worthy widows” who were paid by the congregation. In 1636, less than thirty years after the founding of the Jamestown Colony, at the age of seven, Benjamin Easton became this nation's first foster child (2016, para. 1-3). This article also states in 1562, laws allowed the placement of poor children into services until they became of age. These services did NOT include child abuse and exploitation, it was a step forward from other homes where children were neglected and were not taught anything. In 1853, a movement began by the man named Charles Loring Brace. The movement was called, “The Free Foster Home” movement. It all began because the man was concerned about the large number of immigrant children sleeping in the streets of New York. The man came up with a plan to provide these children homes. Statistics show it was anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 children who did not have homes. Braces brave and creative action became the foundation for the foster care system that we have today (2016, para. 4).
Although, one thinks of all of the negative things that come out of the foster care system, there are still benefits to the system. People go off of what they see on the television and movies giving the foster system a bad reputation. Some benefits of foster placements over others have been identified as better psychological outcomes for the children, there is greater likelihood of family unification, and it enhance life chances for the youth (Brown, 2007, pg. 538). The foster care system offers many services to try and help the child facing the system alone. Some of the valued services include, professional discussion in other words, counseling, educational evaluation, and individual and family therapy before and after the placement. The therapy is for the foster child and the foster parents (Brown, 2007, pg. 540). However, there are many services that one must practice on their own. In the article, Brown states there are some characteristics one must hold before becoming a successful foster parent. Some important characteristics a foster parent must hold are showing a child love, patience, and commitment. It is reported that the key to successful parenting is building trust with the child, for one to do so, one should understand the child. A foster parent should show flexibility, hold wisdom and possess a big heart. A foster parent is required to know their own limit. The child and the foster parents should both be prepared to face challenges and have a willingness to get out of their comfort zone (Brown, 2007, pg. 545). Though one focuses on the foster child, they should not stop focussing on themselves. One should not test his/her limits. One should know when he/she is getting too stressed out. Every foster parent wants to know what their foster child needs without having to be told, but they have to be patient and not stress out about not knowing (Brown, 2007, pg. 549).
Drawbacks of foster care are what some choose to only see.

The drawbacks should be recognized just like the benefits. A foster child enters a home they have never seen before. A foster child lives with a family whom they have no idea of their characteristics, their goals, their achievements. A foster child goes through many difficult changes in their life. Like any other household one does not know what goes on behind closed doors. Though there are benefits to foster care, the drawbacks are noticeable. One who has power and influences over another's life can use the power to harm rather than support and nurture (Exploitation, 2016). Using one's power can turn into something much worse than hurting someone's feelings. As a foster parent who has never had a child of their own, one may not understand the needs of a child. Signs of neglect in one’s home may be, poor hygiene, weight loss, poor skin conditions, or a smell of urine or feces on a person (Exploitation, 2016). One may lose self control and become a violent caregiver. One may notice a child is being abused because he/she refuses to follow directions, displaying a controlling attitude, using threats, burns, cuts, broken bones, and imprint injuries (Exploitation, 2016, para. 2). Remember not all foster homes are only out there for the

check.
Just like every other job there are standards to be met, there are rules one must follow to keep their fostering license. In the article, “Foster Parent Requirements” DeVere states the primary importance in the selection of criteria is noticing the desire to want to parent a child that is not the foster parents, the way they adopt to change,one must be willing to seek help if something is wrong, and one must show commitment to the foster child. Parents are selected by a process of their home being studied. The process includes the studying of family dynamics and communication style, the stability of the family, the history of the family. The article also includes understanding how much of a commitment fostering is and understand the meaning of the process. DeVere mentions a few standards that must be reached before becoming a foster parent, one must be over the age of 25, one must have a regular source of income, one must have one available bedroom, one must have flexibility in their schedule to accommodate the foster children's court ordered visits, therapy, medical appointments, etc. Rules of the foster system are to help the child/children in the home. DeVere lists multiple rules one must follow, children of five years and up must have separate rooms than opposite sex. There are no more than two children around in a room, whipping a child may NEVER be used on a foster or adoptive child (DeVere, 2013, para. 4). Caring for a foster child is just like caring for your own child.
Though foster care has its downfalls, the system was created to help children who had no one to help them. Being human, one needs a caregiver to help them through the beginning of their life. There are many rules and standards that have to be kept up with in becoming a foster parent. The system is something that should be recognized as a positive impact on children.