The average person is indifferent to the topic of fostering. Many think of foster care as flawless system where children live with a loving family until they are reunited with their biological parents, but most people are not interested enough to contribute to the system or find out the truth. There are many flaws in the foster care system, most of which are not common knowledge. Foster care should not be overlooked, and it is important to be educated in this topic and help contribute to the well- being of thousands of unloved children.
Foster children are placed in DFCS, the Department of Children and Family Services with the intent of being placed in safe homes until a permanent situation can be established. However, this organization, is paid to reunite children with their biological families, which sounds good on paper. In reality, this fact means that children are pushed to be placed in unsuitable homes without time to adjust to a new life. Children are scarred further, in addition to the trauma experienced when they are tossed between foster homes and forced to visit biological family in-between. Children are so often thrown into unsafe homes without receiving enough time to adjust, or even becoming familiar with their family member. Furthermore, the number of foster homes and social workers are lacking, yet an overabundance of unqualified and unwise lawyers and judges exists. Also, the need for foster families willing to take older children is great. Older children in the foster care system tend to have greater social and emotion problems, as they have suffered longer in being tossed from family to family. However, their difficulties should create a sense of sympathy, rather than ignoring them. All children deserve a chance to feel safe, regardless of age or level of difficulty. These problems are just a few of the countless difficulties contained in the foster care system.
While high schoolers cannot foster children, there are plenty of ways to help. Volunteering at a local foster agency provides plenty of work to do, such as sorting clothes, cooking meals, wrapping presents, or helping with an event. Also, consider becoming cleared to babysit for foster parents, volunteer at a group home, or work at Camp Horizon, a camp specifically for foster children in Georgia. While these activities are time consuming and emotional challenging, consider the joys you can bring to a foster child.
Parents and adults can provide safe homes, however, and are greatly encouraged to do so. Contact DFCS, Department of Family and Children Services for training, or consider going through another organization, such as Faithbridge Fostercare, Bethany Christian Services, or Giving Children a Chance of Georgia. While foster care can be extremely frustrating at times, the reward of giving a child a safe and loving home is great. Eden Hutchins, a foster parent, said, “It can be a challenging position to be in, so I would not enter it lightly, but having walked through many difficult seasons as a foster parent, I can honestly say that I would not trade the journey for anything - the blessings far outweigh the challenges.”
Works Cited
Hutchens, Eden. Personal interview. 10 January 2018.
“The Current State of Foster Care.” FosterClub, 11 Oct. 2018, www.fosterclub.com/blog
/statistics-and research/current-state-foster-care.