teenagers. After their child is born, then there is a more intense focus to find a permanent placement. A lot of times, prospective placements look at the placement as a chance to have a baby in their home, but do not understand the responsibility of taking in a troubled teenage girl. Again, from my experience, what usually happens is one of two things: either the teenager ends up with a child protective services case of her own and the child is removed from her custody or the teenager runs away and leaves her baby with the prospective placement, as she knows her child will be safe and have a better life with that family.
In regards to sibling placements, the research is very clear that separating siblings when out-of-home placement is …show more content…
By the time a child is ready to exit the foster care system at age 18, I have observed one of two reactions during my professional experience: the now adult, is so tired of being in the system and being bounced around that they just want to be on their own, or, the child is aware that the do not have anywhere else to go, don’t know how to maneuver on their own and utilize the AB 490 law to remain in care until they are 21. One has to try to be empathetic to a child who has experienced the foster care system for several years. A child usually loses contact with any family members, may experience several different social workers, as the field has a high turn-over rate due to the intensity of the work, may have experienced several different placements, and have the general stigma of being a foster care child. A benefit of the AB490 law has allowed foster care youth who are exiting to return to the child welfare system if they leave at 18 and realize they are still in need of assistance, yet all must exit by the age of 21. Having the extra security of the foster care system has benefited more youth in attending college, maintaining stable employment, and lower the …show more content…
Popular interventions include trauma focused therapy and constant assessments of children while in the foster care system. Experiencing trauma is a very powerful experience and there will always be lifelong effects. As professionals in the child welfare field it is imperative that all children are assessed at the moment they enter the foster care system in order to address any concerns as soon as possible. Maintain that siblings are placed together, giving more attention to females and children 12 years and older are also factors one must keep at the forefront. If we, as professionals, do not take matters into our own hands, no one else will. When a child is removed, it becomes the responsibility of the child welfare agency to provide each child with safety, permanency, and well-being. Children are very delicate people, and although very resilient, when traumatized any measures to minimize mental health concerns and increase the rate of success once a child exits the foster care system are vital. In the end, for all professionals, remember, “Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams healing can begin” (Bernock,
In regards to sibling placements, the research is very clear that separating siblings when out-of-home placement is …show more content…
By the time a child is ready to exit the foster care system at age 18, I have observed one of two reactions during my professional experience: the now adult, is so tired of being in the system and being bounced around that they just want to be on their own, or, the child is aware that the do not have anywhere else to go, don’t know how to maneuver on their own and utilize the AB 490 law to remain in care until they are 21. One has to try to be empathetic to a child who has experienced the foster care system for several years. A child usually loses contact with any family members, may experience several different social workers, as the field has a high turn-over rate due to the intensity of the work, may have experienced several different placements, and have the general stigma of being a foster care child. A benefit of the AB490 law has allowed foster care youth who are exiting to return to the child welfare system if they leave at 18 and realize they are still in need of assistance, yet all must exit by the age of 21. Having the extra security of the foster care system has benefited more youth in attending college, maintaining stable employment, and lower the …show more content…
Popular interventions include trauma focused therapy and constant assessments of children while in the foster care system. Experiencing trauma is a very powerful experience and there will always be lifelong effects. As professionals in the child welfare field it is imperative that all children are assessed at the moment they enter the foster care system in order to address any concerns as soon as possible. Maintain that siblings are placed together, giving more attention to females and children 12 years and older are also factors one must keep at the forefront. If we, as professionals, do not take matters into our own hands, no one else will. When a child is removed, it becomes the responsibility of the child welfare agency to provide each child with safety, permanency, and well-being. Children are very delicate people, and although very resilient, when traumatized any measures to minimize mental health concerns and increase the rate of success once a child exits the foster care system are vital. In the end, for all professionals, remember, “Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams healing can begin” (Bernock,