| Foster Home Abuse | | | | and were supposed to leave the foster care system. |
| Abuse of Law? Well, it happens everywhere whether | | | | This picture is even scarier. One can only imagine the |
| we talk about developed, developing or third world | | | | kind of breed that exits out of this system - a |
| countries. Legislators enact laws with some | | | | system which does not offer any stability |
| designated purpose which, unfortunately, gets | | | | (psychological) to these children while they are a part |
| defeated over a period of time. Very few victims | | | | of it and no security when they are out of it. Most |
| finally get to reap the benefits of such legislation and | | | | of them find themselves literally on the roads having |
| most of the time it is the manipulative segment | | | | nowhere to go. No wonder the crime files have |
| which gets to twist the provisions of law to their | | | | records of criminals who have, at some point of time |
| benefit. We saw this happening in case of Dowry | | | | in their lives, lived in foster homes. The worst occurs |
| Prohibition Act (India) enacted primarily to prevent | | | | in cases where children keep shuttling between one |
| crime against women but soon enough it opened | | | | foster home to the other. One can only imagine the |
| flood gates for litigation filed on false and fabricated | | | | trauma and psychological distress, they undergo while |
| grounds. A direct consequence of such falsely framed | | | | being tossed from one parent to the other without |
| cases was a significant change in the attitude (from | | | | having a clue where they would end up finally. It's not |
| sympathetic to ruthless and discourteous) of the | | | | hard to understand how some of these children grow |
| investigating officers, authorized to handle cases in | | | | up into 'suicidal bombs' ready to destroy the first |
| Crime Against Women (CAW) cells. The situation has | | | | thing they come across; the pent up anger soon |
| deteriorated to an extent that even a genuine case | | | | turns in to vindictiveness and burns everything |
| is viewed with suspicion as it has become almost | | | | around. I guess there would only be a few lucky |
| impossible, for the authorities, to sift wheat from the | | | | ones who get a decent home to live in and loving |
| chaff. | | | | parents who adopt them finally. Exceptions can never |
| Interestingly I found the same situation prevailing in | | | | be a rule, though. |
| United States in respect of Child Services / | | | | Foster Parents' perspective |
| Protection Law. The legislators devised a concept of | | | | Over the years, the need of fosters homes has |
| 'Foster Homes' for the minor kids who, for some | | | | considerably increased. I guess the demand of such |
| unexpected reasons, get alienated from their | | | | homes is directly proportional to the increase in |
| biological parents / families and are taken in the state | | | | crimes and the prisons getting flooded with criminals |
| custody where they are temporarily placed in Foster | | | | (small and big time). Why? Simply, because someone |
| Homes till some permanent solution is found for such | | | | needs to take care of the children of those people |
| children. The state authorities try to work out one of | | | | who are serving punishment or just awaiting trial. |
| the three best suitable and possible options for the | | | | (Here, I'm not including the cases where parents die |
| kids and those options are: | | | | due to some fatal disease or an accident) Recently I |
| Need of having Foster Homesa) A child might be | | | | came across an article on the internet which seemed |
| placed in temporary foster care with an intention of | | | | to have been written by a foster parent. The |
| reuniting him with his biological family or other family | | | | woman expressed her annoyance towards the social |
| which might be willing to adopt the kid and give him a | | | | services department which sent representatives to |
| suitable environment for living. It may include cases | | | | her house, unannounced, once every week. She felt |
| where children are handed over to their grandparents | | | | that the foster parents' are subjected to undue |
| or other relatives temporarily or permanently as the | | | | inconvenience as they have to make themselves |
| situation demands.b) A parent may voluntarily allow | | | | available 24/7 and cannot ask the department to |
| his / her child to be placed in foster care either for | | | | give them a prior notice. |
| economic reasons, behavioral problems of the child | | | | Quoting her: |
| for which he might need specialized care and | | | | "After all I too need some rest. With 3 of my own |
| treatment or due to the inability of the parent to | | | | kids and 2 foster children, I get drained out physically |
| raise the child on account of his own mental or | | | | and want to take some rest during daytime by |
| physical disorders which includes drug addiction cases | | | | putting a 'do not disturb' sign board outside the door. |
| also. The child, in such a case, may temporarily be | | | | It seems I can never be that lucky. We are |
| placed in foster care until the parent is capable of | | | | supposed to be 'super parents'. Why can't we be |
| shouldering the responsibility.c) The child may be | | | | normal parents even to our foster kids? I mean, are |
| removed from the custody of his natural guardian or | | | | we supposed to keep them dressed up all the time? |
| caretaker for the reason of the child's own safety | | | | Sometimes they would also love to loiter in their |
| and security. The state finds out a suitable foster | | | | pajamas for the whole day? Why do the social |
| home for such a child and gives some fixed | | | | workers make such a big deal out of it? The |
| monetary allowance to the foster parents for | | | | department does not seem to understand that some |
| meeting the child's needs. The amount varies from | | | | kids come with such grave psychological problems |
| state to state. | | | | that it's almost impossible to deal with them. I had |
| Foster Homes-Homes for Shelter of Abuse? | | | | such issues with one kid. He would deliberately try to |
| We keep reading in newspapers, almost every day, | | | | drive me nuts. All he loved to do was to disobey me |
| about the hair-raising incidents of crime against foster | | | | and do the opposite of what I asked him to do. I |
| children. As per records, about 50 children died in the | | | | almost felt like blowing off my top but then I had to |
| foster care in Texas in 2005 which meant the death | | | | set an example for the other kids too." |
| date of jumped from 25% to 60% from 2003 to | | | | I understood her point of view too but then it wasn't |
| 2005. In 2004, about 100 children were treated for | | | | hard to give some leverage to those social workers |
| poisoning, 63 children were reported as rape victims | | | | also who try their best to ensure the well being of |
| (including 4 year old twins) and even worse, 145 | | | | such kids. A dilemma indeed! The whole situation |
| children were admitted in medical facilities as | | | | makes me wonder if there can be a via media. Can |
| premature pregnancy cases. Based on a report | | | | we balance it out somehow? Will it make the |
| tendered by U.S. Department of Health and Human | | | | situation any better if there are more adoptive |
| Services as of January 2008, more than 500,000 | | | | parents rather than foster parents? I invite a healthy |
| children are living in foster care across the country. | | | | discussion here. Who knows we might be able to |
| As per the statistics laid out in the report, about | | | | make some amendments in law....if we join hands. |
| 20,000 children attained the age of majority in 2008 | | | | |