According to the Code of Federal Regulations, childcare that goes above 24 hours outside a child’s home is what constitutes foster care. As of September 30, 2017, there were more than 440,000 children living in foster care in the USA (Child Welfare, 2017). The number of children in foster care has continued to rise over the years, and according to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), the 2017 foster care statistics represent an 1.5% increase from 2016 and an 11% increase from 2012 (The Chronicle of Social Change, 2018). The increased foster care statistics are attributed to the high numbers of drug use by parents according to a report released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Tyler and Melander (2010) suggest that child abuse and neglect is the main reason why there are thousands of children in the foster care system in the USA. However, they are still prone to child maltreatment as well as mental and developmental health-related issues while in care (Craft, 2019). The largest group of children within the foster care system comprise of the ethnic and racial minorities likely due to the inadequacy of basic services within their communities.
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A study by Hambrick, Oppenheim-Weller, N'zi and Taussig (2016) found out that in some states in the USA, the average costs associated with a child on an annual basis amounts to $30,000. The children in foster care homes tend to suffer from amplified mental health problems even after leaving the facilities. Hambrick et al. (2017) state that 50 to 80 percent of the children within foster care homes in America meet the conditions for mental health disorders. Some of the common mental health disorders these children experience include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorders and disruptive behavior disorders.
Wildeman and Emanuel (2014) state that one of the greatest tragic occasions that a child can experience during their growth and development is being placed in foster care. Before one can qualify for foster care placement, the child must have undergone neglect and abuse that warrants state intervention. Despite being helpful to the children, foster care tends to elicit some form of instability to the child’s already chaotic life, and this can have long-term effects. The mortality rates in foster care are high, including other adverse outcomes such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, asthma and suicidal ideation (Putnam-Hornstein, 2011).
Randle (2013) carried out a study to ascertain what comprises good foster caregivers’ from the eyes of ex-foster children. Most studies have focused on people within the foster care system, and thus their perceptions and opinions are similar in most cases. The study found out that the caregivers treat them like the members of one family despite entering the foster care system feeling abandoned and completely disowned. The participants’ also stated that they felt loved by not only foster caregivers but also the entire household. Moreover, the ex-foster care children stated that they felt safe and the caregivers motivated and loved them (Randle, 2013).
Topic Specific Information
Substance abuse has a significant impact on the child welfare system. More than 6 million children in the USA live with at least one parent who abuses drugs and alcohol. The children of parents who abuse drugs have a higher probability of encountering sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Similarly, they will encounter higher rates of neglect as compared to children living in non-substance abusing homes.
McCoy and Keen (2013) state that substance abuse amongst parents renders them incapable of fully performing their parental role. This results from the time spent using and seeking out drugs and alcohol, increased expenses that limits their ability to offer some basic needs such as food and physical and mental impairment while under drug and alcohol influence. The child’s basic needs such as education, supervision, nurturing and nutrition will not be met. Similarly, the parents who involve themselves in substance abuse will suffer from a number of other problems such as high stress levels, unemployment, mental illnesses and impaired family functioning and this lays down a foundation for child abuse and neglect.
An article by Rawlinson (2018) in The Guardian states that parental drinking is the major cause of the one in three deaths that occur because of child abuse and neglect. Parental drinking will scar the lives of the children as they grow up and this can see them adopting the negative behaviors of their parents. The children from substance abusing household will develop poor emotional, social, intellectual and physical outcomes. In the end, they might alos end up engaging in substance abuse. Data indicates that children abused and neglected by substance abusing parents will most likely be placed in foster care homes. Such children tend to stay longer within the foster care system as compared to those who came from non-substance abusing parents. The USA spends more than $24 billion annually to eradicate substance abuse and out of this more than $5.3 billion is directed to cater for child welfare expenses related to substance abuse (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013).
A study carried out between 2011 and 2014, 37% of child deaths and serious injuries after neglect and abuse were linked to alcohol abuse by parents. The children living with alcohol dependent parents will feel socially reluctant and isolated as they try to seek help. Similarly, a study by Freisthler, Johson-Motoyama and Kepple (2014) found out that supervisory neglect is the most common type of neglect a sit accounts for 15-72.5% of all the child welfare cases.
Applicable Theory
The Family Systems Theory grew out of the general systems theory. The cell is seen as an example of a system according to the general systems theory and the family is considered as a system basing on the family systems theory. The family systems theory was developed in the early 1970s and the major key concepts of the theories include boundaries, homeostasis and feedback. (Lander, Howsare & Byrne, 2013). A system’s tendency to seek equilibrium and stability is what forms the homeostasis model and this concept is vital in understanding the negative impacts of substance abuse disorders in a family. In case of parents who abuse drugs, their children might try to keep the family in a state of equilibrium such as getting the parents to bed and such efforts will allow the substance abuse to continue which brings about neglect in the long-run. Feedback encompasses the various communication strategies that members of a given system use. Through communication, a parent and the child are able to form a relationship and an attachment develops. However, once the parents begins using drugs, there is no communication and hence no attachment. A family with substance abusing parents will not have healthy boundaries that are important for maintaining proper family functioning and thus children end up being neglected.
Attachment theory attempts to explain a child’s development from pre-birth to adulthood. Attachment theory is essential as it enables an understanding of the children raised within foster care homes (Shemmings, 2016). Attachment is important, as it will affect different developmental stages of the child as he/she grows up. The affiliation established between the children and primary caregivers in the facilities has often been able to change the previous attachment patterns that only focused on mother-child. The primary caregivers within the foster care systems will have an opportunity to change the attachment patterns that the children had developed with their biological parents or in preceding placements (Quiroga & Hamilton-Giachritis, 2015). Within the homes, the children try to navigate their traumatic experiences and losses and a caregiver who is sensible and adequate, he/she can act as a safe foundation for the kid. The development of a secure attachment will help the child’s development. Nonetheless, the development of attachment between the caregiver and child is dejected, as this will affect the future transition of the child (Quiroga & Hamilton-Giachritis, 2015).
Applicable Legislation
Health care is essential for all youth and children. The children residing in the foster care system are more likely to have many health care needs due to abuse or neglect. Through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), children in foster care can now access health care coverage and Medicaid (CCH Incorporated & Wolters Kluwer, 2010). The act also ensures that the former foster care children have access to Medicaid. The children within the foster care system also suffer from other health disorders such as jaw, vision and dental disorders. For children within foster care, the most eligible pathway for them to access Medicaid is through Title IV-E. This title ensures that out of home children are taken care off in all states across the USA (ACF, 2010). Children are provided for Medicaid cover until they turn 26 years of age, and the cover is similar to those children who still live with their parents.
Practical Considerations
A considerable number of children experience a significant sense of abandonment after placement. Visitation may also support the welfare of the children within foster care homes. Children who are frequently visited may adjust to the placement as compared to those who are not visited. Similarly, those who are visited will have a higher probability of being discharged from foster care homes (Szilagyi et al., 2015). However, most biological parents will not visit their children because of many factors. A considerable number of children within foster care come from low-income homes, and thus visitation might be a huge problem, as it requires finances. Nonetheless, to ensure a lack of financial resources does not hinder visitation, transportation of guardians and biological parents to the foster homes or visitation sites is important. There is a need to rent buses that will take parents to the homes in agreed dates. The guardian and parents will have to meet at central pickup point whereby they will be taken to see their children. This can also act as a means of encouraging frequent visitation that may boost the emotional well-being of the children.
References
Freisthler, B., Johnson-Motoyama, M., & Kepple, N. J. (2014). Inadequate child supervision: The role of alcohol outlet density, parent drinking behaviors, and social support. Children and youth services review , 43 , 75-84.
Hambrick, E. P., Oppenheim-Weller, S., N'zi, A. M., & Taussig, H. N. (2016). Mental health interventions for children in foster care: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review , 70 , 65-77.
Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: From theory to practice. Social work in public health , 28 (3-4), 194-205.
Putnam-Hornstein, E. (2011). Report of maltreatment as a risk factor for injury death: A prospective birth cohort study. Child Maltreatment , 16 (3), 163-174.
Quiroga, M. G., & Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. (2016, August). Attachment styles in children living in alternative care: A systematic review of the literature. Child & Youth Care Forum , 45( 4), 625-653.
Randle, M. (2013). Through the eyes of ex-foster children: Placement success and the characteristics of good foster carers. Practice , 25 (1), 3-19.
Szilagyi, M. A., Rosen, D. S., Rubin, D., Zlotnik, S., the Council ON Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care, the Committee on Adolescence and the Council on Early Childhood. (2015). Health care issues for children and adolescents in foster care and kinship care. Pediatrics, 136 (4), e1142-e1166.
Tyler, K. A., & Melander, L. A. (2010). Foster care placement, poor parenting, and negative outcomes among homeless young adults. Journal of Child and Family Studies , 19 (6), 787-794.
Wildeman, C., & Emanuel, N. (2014). Cumulative risks of foster care placement by age 18 for US children, 2000–2011. PloS one , 9 (3), e92785.
