Ever since its inception the child welfare system has been pivotal in safeguarding children who have either been neglected or abused. The child welfare system incorporates all public child welfare agencies that operate on the four following subsets: child investigation and protection, family-centered services, foster care and consequently adoption. Child welfare agencies are tasked with the duty of providing 24-hour service to children who may be neglected and/or abused. Since a lot of funding goes into the child welfare system it is prudent to constantly assess its effectiveness. However, in recent years the child welfare system has been tainted with cases of child victimization. These so children agencies often result in child neglect within their facilities; the very thing that they try to rescue children from (Dettlaff et al ., 2011). Ultimately, this paper aims to assess and comment on child victimization at the hands of the child welfare system.
Literature Review
Due to the frequency of child abuse and neglect cases in America, there exists a plethora of scientific information regarding victimization. However, most articles, books, and studies tend to focus on evaluating the effects of child abuse either in terms of their behavior or adult life. For instance, Turney and Wildeman concludes their study by showcasing that living in foster care homes increase the likelihood of an adverse childhood (2017). The above-stated conclusion resonates well with the reasoning behind Glisson and Green’s study that assesses the causes and effects of child neglect in child welfare facilities (2011). As such, there is a common trend among many articles is the over-emphasis on impacts of child neglect and abuse; this has hindered unique research from my perspective.
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Moreover, there is a slightly common theme that there exist racist tendencies when it comes to mistreatment of children in welfare agencies. Jones-Harden, Ruby, and Brown ascertain that it is indeed more difficult for a colored to be reunified with their family or be assimilated into a well-off family with respect to their white counterparts (2003). On the other hand, Dettlaff et al. evaluate the race issue albeit on a different plane of thought altogether, the article infers how race, income, and other factors affect the grave decisions that direct the lives of children in such institutions (2011). The two studies differ in the aspect that while one addresses the challenge that colored children and parents who have seemingly lost their children to welfare agencies the other articulates the issue of race as it subtly and may subconsciously affects decision making within welfare institutions.
Since sexual abuse is an unfortunate yet heavy determinant that places children in welfare facilities it is imperative that there are studies that attempt to evaluate it. Euser et al. provide a unique study that compares and contrasts prevalence of sexual abuse in residential and foster care (2013). However, I believe that the methodology used by Euser et al. that culminates their findings is a bit flawed due to a number of reasons. The core reason being there is vagueness as to what counts as a foster home and what counts as a residential care center for children. All in all, the article is quite useful as it details an aspect of child victimization that is often just scraped on the surface.
There has been great debate on the cost of foster care and if at all they are really worth it. However, what many fail to see is the economic burden that victimization of children both inside and outside these facilities has on the country (Fang, Brown, Florence, & Mercy, 2012). Foster homes have been treated as a money making machine by individuals who run since they provide outsourced services that the government cannot provide. However, Fang, Brown, Florence, and Mercy articulate that such practices result in individuals being desensitized to foster children, actions which further curtails their rehabilitation and consequently leading to a huge economic burden down the line (2012). All in all, the literature within this field is primarily well researched, comprehendible and commendable. Although, there is an obvious gap in recent researches that deduce the reasons behind the spike in child maltreatment cases in child welfare agencies as well as foster care homes.
Identification of the Problems
Primarily, the main problem that is being highlighted throughout this paper is the existence of child victimization cases within the child welfare system. Pecora, Whittaker, Maluccio, and Barth point out the hypocrisy in that the child welfare system was and is meant to redeem children from neglect and abusive homes yet it leads them to more troubles (2012). Before delving further into the problem of child victimization within the child welfare system it is imperative to illustrate how child welfare agencies work. Whenever a child is assumed to have been abused the nearest child agency is obligated to send a worker to assess the situation. If the worker assesses that the child should be removed from the household then the child is taken away from their family and placed in a temporary social service establishment and consequently sent to a foster care (Dettlaff et al ., 2011). Afterwards, the child can either be reunited with his/her family or be adopted.
The problem with neglect and general victimization often comes when the children are under foster care. Fang, Brown, Florence, and Mercy suggest that it is important to note that even though it is normal citizens who partake in foster care the children are legally the responsibility of the child agencies were anything to happen to them (2012). For instance, two children in Oregon were starved by their foster parents under the watch of the Oregon Department of Social Services (Turney & Wildeman, 2017). In Florida, 6 siblings who were separated from their alcoholic mother claimed that they were physically and sometimes sexually abused while under foster care. Such cases continue to become the norm in a number of foster care homes and generally public child welfare agencies (Ross, 2017). If this trend is allowed to continue then this will result in a hypocritical dilemma in which children are removed from their family homes due to abuse and/or neglect and into foster homes where the similar acts occur.
While child victimization is the core problem that is plaguing the child welfare system it is prudent to highlight the factors that encourage it as well as other challenges being faced by child welfare agencies. Majority of foster care homes can be said to be privatized or at the very least outsourced ventures. This is to implicate that public agencies transfer responsibility of children to individuals and at times private care institutions. As such financial incentives are becoming the sole reason why individuals accept foster children (Aarons et al, 2010). When child victimization cases arise there is a common trend whereby the supposed foster parents only accepted the children to only leech welfare money. This lack of actual parental instincts among individuals who are tasked with caring for foster children can be credited to the frequency of child abuse and neglect cases in foster homes (Euser et al., 2013).
Furthermore, Jones-Harden, Brown, and Ruby claim that there is a shortage of not only skilled but motivated workers (2003). In truth, even the Child Welfare Information Gateway concluded from a survey that majority of children welfare agencies welcomed the idea of additional training to widen their skill set and increase sensitivity for children as well as other individuals that they have to deal with (National Research Council, 2014). Whereas, social workers may be not the ones committing acts of child victimization they in turn indirectly aid the offenses as a result of complacency. Another problem facing the children welfare system is the lack of urgency within the court system and law enforcement. When child victimization cases take place there is usually a lengthy procedure that involves investigation and legal documentation which may, in turn, lengthen the period of victimization. In cases where the child is under imminent convincing danger, such formalities are often foregone.
Policy Implications
The current state of the child welfare system is not as ideal as it should be and thus there should be avenues of change particularly in terms of policies. To begin, there should an upheaval in how foster care homes are selected and consequently evaluated. At the core of the problem is the lack of proper assessment of individuals who apply to start foster homes or offer to be foster parents. In the Florida example given above, it was mentioned that the foster mother was still entrusted with children despite her own child being once taken away on allegations of sexual abuse. As such there should be newer policies in place that heavily assess and scrutinize individuals who are running foster homes (Glisson & Green, 2011). Such scrutiny should not just happen during application or during the first few months but should be carried out in continuous yet sporadic checks. Lastly, foster parents who are found to commit any abuse or neglect case should have their permits instantly revoked. This will help to prevent child agencies from coming to the rescue of the child only when it is apparently too late.
Additionally, child victimization cases are often belittled or ignored by child welfare agencies when they do occur. The two siblings who were heavily malnourished had been in the presence of an agency worker a month earlier who failed to alarm the issue. Such carelessness and laxity could have resulted in the death of two young children. As such policies to prevent direct irresponsibility should be put in place and implemented more seriously. Such policies should involve regular checks on children placed under foster care. Moreover, in case child abuse or neglect cases occur while a child is still in foster care child welfare agencies should internally investigate the situation and acknowledge where they erred. Accountability and responsibility should be taken very seriously within the child welfare system (Glisson & Green, 2011).
The situation of relatively not well skill endowed labor within the child welfare system is worrying. If agencies themselves agree that there is a deep problem within the capabilities of their workers then a lot needs to be revamped. Ideally, this does not implicate firing off workers at the slightest sight of inability. However, there should be a new mindset not only among active social workers who work directly with children but administration. Work policies should make it apparent that any worker in such an agency is there for the betterment of a child’s life. As such training, evaluation and even personal assessment should be encouraged in child welfare agencies. This will not only help in improving general relevant skills i.e. communication and people skills but help aid in general sensitivity as National Research Council concluded (2014).
Lastly, it is prudent to articulate that such policies may not be as easily implementable as presumed and may face some challenges. For one, for such policies to make noticeable change there will have to be significant alignment with legislation particularly state legislation. For instance, necessitating urgency among the courts and law enforcement agencies when it comes to child victimization cases in fosters homes has not been mentioned as a plausible policy. This is because such an alteration would require intensive amounts of political lobbying. Moreover, there is the issue of limited manpower. For instance, constant and sporadic assessment of foster parents and homes may seem like a good idea; nonetheless, it would require a lot of labor to properly succeed (Pecora, Whittaker, Maluccio & Barth, 2012). Nevertheless, adjustments within the child welfare system should be treated as a necessity if at all child victimization is going to be stopped within the system.
Conclusion
The child welfare system despite not being a single entity was designed to investigate and protect children being raised under abusive and/or neglectful households. However, the child welfare system has been continuously tainted with negative outcomes as well as perceptions the predominant being child victimization under the watch of child welfare agencies. It is quite unfortunate that in America a child can be taken away from their abusive family and left to rot in another. Such occurrences should occur even rarely lest the need for such child protection services will be forgotten. Thereby, it is imperative that child protection agencies, as well as state-related agencies, work hand in hand to create and implement policies that will ensure the child welfare system ascertains the betterment of every child’s life.
References
Aarons, G. A., James, S., Monn, A. R., Raghavan, R., Wells, R. S., & Leslie, L. K. (2010). Behavior problems and placement change in a national child welfare sample: A prospective study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry , 49 (1), 70-80.
Dettlaff, A. J., Rivaux, S. L., Baumann, D. J., Fluke, J. D., Rycraft, J. R., & James, J. (2011). Disentangling substantiation: The influence of race, income, and risk on the substantiation decision in child welfare. Children and Youth Services Review , 33 (9), 1630-1637.
Euser, S., Alink, L. R., Tharner, A., van IJzendoorn, M. H., & Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J. (2013). The prevalence of child sexual abuse in out-of-home care: A comparison between abuse in residential and in foster care. Child Maltreatment , 18 (4), 221-231.
Fang, X., Brown, D. S., Florence, C. S., & Mercy, J. A. (2012). The economic burden of child maltreatment in the United States and implications for prevention. Child abuse & neglect , 36 (2), 156-165.
Glisson, C., & Green, P. (2011). Organizational climate, services, and outcomes in child welfare systems. Child abuse & neglect , 35 (8), 582-591.
Jones-Harden, N.M., Brown, & Ruby, A.J. (2003). Children of Color in the Child Welfare System: Perspectives from the Child Welfare Community . Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/otherpubs/children/implications/
National Research Council. (2014). New directions in child abuse and neglect research . National Academies Press.
Pecora, P. J., Whittaker, J. K., Maluccio, A. N., & Barth, R. P. (2012). The child welfare challenge: Policy, practice, and research . AldineTransaction.
Ross, B. (2017). Six Kids Neglected by Florida Foster Care . Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123897
Turney, K., & Wildeman, C. (2017). Adverse childhood experiences among children placed in and adopted from foster care: evidence from a nationally representative survey. Child abuse & neglect , 64 , 117-129.
