Long-term effects of foster care on American children

¶ … Foster Care on Young Children in the U.S.

In the past few decades, the negative long-term effects of foster care associated with young children in the United States has reportedly steadily increased, raising concern among parents, governmental programs and policy-makers alike. The United States federal government estimated that 542,000 children were placed in foster care as of September 30, 2001 (Pecora et.al, 2003). The numbers of children in foster care have risen substantially since 1980; the average age of a child in foster care is 10 years old with an average length of stay of about three years. A review of the literature indicates that the length of time that children are spending in foster care has began to diminish in recent years, however, the reported effects of foster care on young children are substantial and irreversible. The media has continued to publish foster care horror stories, such as social workers from the Department of Children and Family Services snatching children out of their mother's arms for suspected abuse and unfit parent claims. Thousands of Web sites post tragic stories of neglect, sexual abuse and an outward lack of love written by the children themselves placed in foster care homes. This reported neglect, abuse and overall lack of love has devastating impacts on the young children placed into these homes, and continues into their adult life. A review of the literature reveals that some of the most serious long-term effects of foster care include abuse and neglect of their own children, criminal tendencies and drug or alcohol abuse. The foster care system appears to be much overworked and stretched beyond its' limits, as rarely do we hear the success stories. This paper will analyze the effects of foster care on young children in the United States.

Foster care is a service that is often required when children are seriously abused or neglected. Children in foster care typically enter the system because of abuse, neglect, or some other serious dysfunction in their family. In 2001, nearly five million U.S. children were reported as abused and neglected, with 903,000 confirmed victims (Pecora et.al., 2003). This represents an increase of 48% in officially reported victims since 1990; child welfare costs associated with child maltreatment totaled $14.4 billion, with the Federal Government spending $13.1 billion in 2002 for programs within the Administration for Children and Families, which does not include state-only funded programs (Pecora, 2003). Currently, half a million children are living in foster care nationally and 118,000 are waiting for foster care placement. Nationally, the number of adoptions has remained relatively stable, while the number of children in foster care continues maintain a steady pace. The effects on these children include the negative impacts associated with growing up without a permanent home, lack of education, and mental health problems.

Effects of growing up without a permanent home review of the literature indicates that when children grow up without permanent homes, they are in great danger of emotional trauma, problems in school, risky behaviors, trouble with the law, and poor life outcomes. If foster parents are committed to children, foster care can be as permanent as adoption, as long as it is provided with stability. Children, even the very young, are being placed in shelters and children's homes; even when foster homes are available, sibling groups are rarely placed together leaving children separated from the only other people they know, breaking very important bonds. Research indicates that every child undergoes challenges from different stages of psychological development. In addition to the normal obstacles, foster children are faced with other psychological demands to master (Weldon, 2001). In order to experience all the emotions presented in changing homes, foster children must master and deal with feelings provoked by separation from their biological parents and the feelings resulting from being presented with new parents (Weldon, 2001). They must process any consequential feelings aroused from separation of any kind from the new parents, and also overcome the fear of developing closeness with the new parents (Katz, 1987). Research by Weldon (2001) concludes that for younger children, a lack of time perception adds to the struggle of placement and separation. A small child becomes upset at parents leaving for only a few hours; young children are unable to perceive and have the ability to process being taken away from parents permanently. Katz (1987) states that no foster care placement can be truly considered temporary if it exceeds the period of time during which the child can conceptually retain previous emotional ties. Additionally, a later separation will be potentially as damaging as the initial one and will inevitably lead to a diminution of the child's ability and willingness to become attached again. Finally, after so many separation and placements occur in the life of a foster child, a child becomes so scared that he or she loses all in hope in finding a permanent home (Weldon, 2001).

Effects on education and job skills

Children who are neglected or abused and children who are in foster care are at high risk for school failure; among the risk factors facing youth in foster care, low educational achievement may have the most adverse effect on long-term adjustment (Pecora et.al., 2003). Youth who are at risk for school failure are also at high risk for drug abuse, delinquency, and violence. Research indicates that educational achievement is a powerful determinant of future life success for all youth. According to statistics, high school dropouts are seriously at-risk of being unemployed and on public assistance. One of the few national studies found 54% of foster care alumni had completed high school, and in a similar Wisconsin study, only 63% of the alumni had completed high school 12 to 18 months after discharge (Pecora et.al., 2003). Another study found a 65.2% high school graduation rate for youth in care in New York City, compared with 70.8% for 18 to 24-year-olds in the city general population in 1980. A recent Washington study found that of youth leaving foster care at age 18, only 34% had a high school diploma or GED, 38% were currently enrolled in educational or vocational programs, and 28% had dropped out of school (Pecora et.al., 2003). The Washington study further reported that youth in foster care scored, on average, 15 to 20 percentile points below non-foster youth in statewide achievement tests. Additionally, at both the elementary and secondary levels, twice as many foster youth had repeated a grade, changed schools during the year, or enrolled in special education programs, when compared with non-foster youth (Pecora et.al., 2003).

Conclusion

The foster care system in the United States must undergo several important reforms before foster care will have a positive effect on young children growing up in the system. Foster parents need more support and training, and workers need to explore alternative training methods for recruitment and retention. Child protective service workers need to meet with supervisory staff to discuss how caseload management could be addressed so that recruitment and retention can be included. The community and the legislature need to be made aware of the importance of foster care and of the crisis in the foster care system and the need for foster parents. The legislature needs to be made aware of the success that technology has had in the field of adoption and how that same success can be made in foster care.