Essay On Monica Garcia

Monica Garcia is a 9-year-old Mexican-American child. She is currently placed in Intensive Therapeutic Foster Care Foster Family Home (ITFC-FFA) and has lived there for five months now. She was placed at this Foster Family home by Child Welfare Services (CWS) due to the General Neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse while in her mother’s care. Monica was born in San Diego but lived in Tijuana all her life. Prior to being repatriated back to the United States, Monica lived with her mother and her four siblings before being removed by Desarrollo Integral de La Familia (DIF). Reports indicate that Monica’s mother is addicted to Methamphetamine and that Monica and her four siblings were found to be living in a home that was in “deplorable and

unsanitary conditions”. Monica reported that she would often be left alone, for days, to care for her siblings.

Monica reported that she would cook for herself and her siblings because her mother was “always asleep.” Monica reported having seen her mother drinking a bottle of tequila and smoke “something” that required the use of a light bulb and paper. Monica reported being worried about her mother because her mother would often get sick. Monica reported that she was afraid her mother would die. Monica also reported witnessing domestic violence between her mother and his step-father. Monica stated that her mother would often have bruises after fights. Monica also indicated that her step-father would often beat her and her siblings with a belt and that her mother wouldn’t do anything to stop it. Monica reported that her biological father, who is also an addict, was in prison but she did not know why. Monica also disclosed that when her mother left her in her maternal grandfather’s care, that he would often touch her on her private parts. Monica’s siblings reported that family friend, who lived in the home, would burn her on her hands and arms with a

cigarette.
Monica currently lives in a (ITFC-FFA) home with her foster mother, her husband and two biological children and has been living there for five months now.

Since being placed with her foster parents, the foster mother reports that Monica has been having problems sleeping. The foster mother reports that she can hear Monica, in the middle of the night, banging the wall in her room. The foster mother also reported that Monica’s enuresis incidents have increased especially at night. The foster mother reports that although she has put Monica on a bathroom schedule, Monica continues to have “accidents.” The foster mother also reported that Monica recently started smearing feces in her closet. Monica reports that she does not know why she does it but only admitted to doing it at night. According to Brennan-Parsons, S., & Hay, Christine. (2000), encopresis is a symptom of emotional stressors that is related dealing with uncertainty, struggling to endure and not feeling in control of their situation.

Monica is very open when it comes to talking about the problems she is having in the foster home. Monica acknowledged that she did have problems sleeping but could not say why. In regards to the problems with Enuresis, Monica stated that she is afraid to use the bathroom if someone does not go with her especially at night. Monica explained that she was afraid of the “ghosts” that come out at night. Monica explained that she smears her feces after she has accidents as a form of doing hygiene.

Monica stated that she smears the feces at night.
Monica is currently attends Taft Elementary School and is in the 3rd grade. Since she started attending school in the United States, the school has reported that Monica has been having problems with other peers and will often become oppositional and aggressive towards them if she does not get her way or feels overwhelmed. The school also reported that Monica has been caught taking other children’s snacks. The school reports that Monica has been doing this on a regular basis. The school reports that they don’t believe that she is taking the snacks because she is hungry. The school believes that Monica is doing it to gain adult attention. Monica does not deny taking other children’s snacks. Monica reports that she will often hide the snacks from her peers just to “play around” but that she will often give the snack back to them. Monica also report often being hungry at times even though she eats breakfast and her foster mother packs a snack for her. Monica reported that she really doesn’t know why she is taking other children’s snack. The school social worker also indicated that Monica often has trouble relating to children her age and will often gravitate towards adults or younger children. The school social worker indicated that Monica often seeks adult attention and will often take care of children younger than her as if she was an adult.