The foster care system is designed to protect children when their families are facing challenges. It’s a network of services at the federal, state, and local levels, all working together. Understanding how this system operates can highlight its crucial role in society and the support it offers to vulnerable children and families.
Understanding the Framework of the Foster Care System
The foster care system isn’t a single organization, but rather a collaboration between different levels of government and various agencies. This intricate structure is designed to ensure that children receive the care and support they need while remaining connected to their communities.
While the primary responsibility for child welfare lies with state and county agencies, the federal government provides significant funding and establishes legislation to support these local efforts. The Children’s Bureau, a division of the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the key federal entity overseeing these programs.
The Children’s Bureau develops programs aimed at preventing child abuse and neglect, ensuring children’s safety, facilitating family reunification when possible, and securing permanent homes for children when returning home isn’t safe. This is according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau itself, highlighting the Bureau’s role as a central resource and authority in the field.
What Exactly Is Foster Care?
Foster care is intended to be a temporary living arrangement. In this setup, trained caregivers—who can be relatives (kinship caregivers) or non-relatives—provide care for a child when their biological parents are temporarily unable to do so. The aim is to provide a stable and nurturing environment for children during challenging times in their families’ lives.
A significant majority, over 77%, of children in foster care are placed with either relatives or non-relative foster families. The remaining children reside in group homes, institutions, or supervised independent living situations. Group homes are defined as residences housing six or more children and are sometimes considered family households within the system.
Foster care serves children and youth of all ages, from infants to young adults up to 18-21 years old, depending on state laws. The median age when a child enters foster care is around 6 years old. Although designed as a temporary solution, the average length of stay in foster care is approximately 20 months. During this time, the goal is to either reunify the child with their family, establish a permanent legal guardianship (including adoption), or, for older youth, facilitate emancipation from the system.
The primary goal for children in foster care is family reunification. However, reunification is not always possible or in the child’s best interest. Reasons for this can include parental death, incarceration, or if parents pose a documented and ongoing threat to the child’s safety and well-being.
To assist foster families, each state offers a subsidy to help cover some of the expenses associated with raising a child. It’s important to note that these subsidies typically cover less than half of the average cost of raising a child, emphasizing the financial commitment foster parents undertake.
Recent statistics from the Children’s Bureau indicated that on September 30, 2016, there were approximately 437,465 children in foster care in the United States. This represents an increase of about 10,000 children compared to the previous year. Of these, around 108,000 children were eligible for and awaiting adoption, a number that has remained consistently high for several years, highlighting the ongoing need for permanent homes for children in foster care.
Steps to Become a Foster Parent
Becoming a foster parent is a deeply rewarding but significant commitment. Agencies typically have specific requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children in care. Generally, prospective foster parents are expected to provide 24-hour care and supervision and be financially stable enough to support themselves without relying on the child’s stipend. Your home must also be safe and free of hazards, and you will need to undergo criminal and protective services background checks.
The need for foster parents is critical. There are many children who need safe and caring homes, and the number of available foster families is not sufficient to meet this demand. Foster families play a vital role in offering children a stable home environment during challenging times.
The National Foster Parent Association outlines key expectations for foster parents, including:
- Providing constant care and supervision.
- Maintaining financial independence from the foster child’s stipend.
- Demonstrating flexibility, patience, and understanding.
- Possessing a sense of humor.
- Ensuring a safe home environment, free from fire and safety risks.
- Completing required background checks.
- Being able to work collaboratively as part of a team with social workers and other professionals.
The process of becoming a licensed foster parent can take time, potentially up to two years from the initial decision through orientation, training, licensing, and finally being matched with a child.
If you are considering becoming a foster parent, resources like iFoster (at [email protected]) can provide guidance in connecting with local agencies. These agencies are essential in ensuring that potential foster parents are capable and equipped with the necessary resources and support to meet the diverse needs of children in foster care, including their physical, emotional, developmental, and financial well-being.
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