Foster Care System - Is it a horrible idea?

[katyseagull]

Well this is possibly the most depressing thing I’ve read about in years. Could someone please explain to me the rationale behind foster care?

The following story has been front page news and all over our local radio stations for the past couple weeks. Everyone here is just heartbroken. It has started a vigorous debate over the practicality and wisdom of foster care.


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(An extremely depressing news story)

On Aug. 15th, Liz Carroll reported her foster child, 3-yr old Marcus Fiesel, missing and a massive search ensued in Anderson Township with hundreds of volunteers.

According to Liz, Marcus (believed to be autistic) wandered off in a park after she suddenly fainted. During several interviews, she insinuated that the park employees were responsible for losing her child. She gave a 40 minute press conference pleading with the public to help find her missing “son”. The search continued for nearly two weeks and the family never wavered from its story. Now we are told it was all a ruse.

The little toddler had been left all alone in a closet 11 days earlier, while his foster parents attended a family reunion in Williamstown, Kentucky with their biological kids and live-in girlfriend. Sadly, Marcus died while his “family” was playing corn hole and getting drunk with the relatives. The foster parents have now been arrested and are being held on $10 million bond (the largest bond ever set in Hamilton County) on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. The live-in girlfriend has not been arrested though she was clearly a participant.


I’m providing a link but caution you – very graphic details involving the murder of a child.

Possibly the most depressing story in the world


Do these people look like monsters to you?
the lovely couple

Foster mom pleading for help:
Distraught Foster Mom



The social service agency responsible for placing Marcus with the family said that they were adequately trained and checked out beforehand, and that they had a “clean and attractive” home. (They did in fact have a nice looking home). The agency has denied any wrong-doing saying that they were conned by the family who was obviously only in it for the money.


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So the question is - Is the State shirking its responsibility by relying on the public to volunteer and solve their problem? I mean it sort of seems like a complete crapshoot for the kids. “Hey everybody, we got some needy kids here! Anyone want to take them off our hands?” Is it just me or does it seem a little reckless?


I’d be curious to know your thoughts on this.

1. Do you think foster care is basically a good idea? That is, entrusting children to volunteers?

2. What about people who are unable or unwilling to hold down a regular job? Should they be candidates for foster parenting? What do you think is a reasonable amount of money the states should pay families to encourage foster-parenting?

3. Is this type of foster care system used in other countries?

[Utah]

Our foster care and adoption systems are completely broken in the U.S. Worse, there is little incentive to fix them.

[katyseagull]

[ QUOTE ]
Our foster care and adoption systems are completely broken in the U.S. Worse, there is little incentive to fix them.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you do not support the Foster Care system in our country at all? Do you think it would be easy to fix it, or do you think it is fundamentally flawed?

[Utah]

I support the idea of a foster care system as there needs to be a place for children to go when they are being abused at home.

The system is not hard to fix. The problem is that to fix it is to admit there is a problem. There are strong groups that dont want the flaws in the system fixed because to fix it you have to admit there are flaws. To admit there are flaws will damage the steady supply of fresh babies for the adoption industry - which is feed by in part by the foster care. In a broader sense, there is a need to supress the data that shows kids in adoption and kids in foster care are more likely to be abused by their parents then kids raised by their genetic families.

[Peter Harris]

very quickly, fostering is much better in existence than not.

secondly, I'd be intrigued to know the % of people who would remain being abused or die as a result of staying with biological parents as opposed to the % that are abused by foster families. With no idea how to quantify, I'd be willing to place serious money it's lower in the latter instance.


Yes this sucks. Totally, it's abhorrent. But to say the entire system sucks? Please.

[Peter Harris]

[ QUOTE ]
The system is not hard to fix. The problem is that to fix it is to admit there is a problem. There are strong groups that dont want the flaws in the system fixed because to fix it you have to admit there are flaws. To admit there are flaws will damage the steady supply of fresh babies for the adoption industry - which is feed by in part by the foster care. In a broader sense, there is a need to supress the data that shows kids in adoption and kids in foster care are more likely to be abused by their parents then kids raised by their genetic families.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whilst i recognise that this aspect is prevalent in many facets of political life, one can still "fix" problems whilst not admitting them [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Better screening of foster families, better liaising with those groups after assignment, better + more punitive prosecution of those found guilty etc.etc. are all easy to do and *don't* admit there is a problem - they are just "ensuring the system remains highly efficient" and "punishing the *very* rare cases that occur".

Man, what I see in politics freaks me out.

[Punker]

Whats your alternative suggestion to the current system?

It's all fine to say "the current system doesn't work" but you have to come up with a better suggestion that is practical and feasible. As the article says "The vast majority of foster parents are saints, doing it for the love of children." The same is true of biological parents, but from time to time you hear about a biological parent abusing/killing their child - this doesn't mean the natural system of parenting is broken. It just means that there are some truly messed up people in the world, and that these are two of them.

[bwana devil]

[ QUOTE ]
I support the idea of a foster care system as there needs to be a place for children to go when they are being abused at home.

The system is not hard to fix. The problem is that to fix it is to admit there is a problem. There are strong groups that dont want the flaws in the system fixed because to fix it you have to admit there are flaws. To admit there are flaws will damage the steady supply of fresh babies for the adoption industry - which is feed by in part by the foster care. In a broader sense, there is a need to supress the data that shows kids in adoption and kids in foster care are more likely to be abused by their parents then kids raised by their genetic families.

[/ QUOTE ]

where are you getting your facts? foster care is goverment funded. there are no people getting rich off babies nor is there an adoption industry. there are private adoption agencies that charge families for adoption but that's completely different in how it is operated.

foster care isnt perfect. far from it. it is underfunded in almost every state/county. the families who agree to foster care are usually lower middle class families who dont have the greatest financial resources to begin w/ and then are given the tiniest amount of money from the government in order to raise children who, in many cases, have emotional and mental issues. and being a foster parent is pretty much thankless job that is very taxing, that requires 24/7 attention.

i worked in social services w/ children in foster care years ago and the parents received around $300/mth. that's it. that buys food, clothes, and any other expenses. usually the foster parent pays out of pocket because it's so little.

many (probably most) countries still have orphanages. the US system isnt broken. it just needs more resources.

[hmkpoker]

[ QUOTE ]
So the question is - Is the State shirking its responsibility by relying on the public to volunteer and solve their problem? I mean it sort of seems like a complete crapshoot for the kids. “Hey everybody, we got some needy kids here! Anyone want to take them off our hands?” Is it just me or does it seem a little reckless?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are plenty biological parents who are abusive to their children. Is the state shirking its responsibility by allowing parents to raise their children?

[katyseagull]

[ QUOTE ]
very quickly, fostering is much better in existence than not.

secondly, I'd be intrigued to know the % of people who would remain being abused or die as a result of staying with biological parents as opposed to the % that are abused by foster families. With no idea how to quantify, I'd be willing to place serious money it's lower in the latter instance.


Yes this sucks. Totally, it's abhorrent. But to say the entire system sucks? Please.

[/ QUOTE ]


Well I’m not advocating leaving kids in abusive biological homes. Clearly you are right that kids need to be removed from dangerous homes. The question is what to do with them.

I confess I'm questioning the entire system right now because I see the potential for abuse and it worries me. Mainly, I have trouble trusting any family that volunteers to do it. I admit I’m a very cynical person. If they are receiving money for it then I question their motive right off the bat.

I’m not sure it’s the governments place to pawn kids off to anyone that steps up and volunteers.


So I take it you guys don’t see a problem with paying people to become foster parents? Am I the only one? I guess I need to stop being so distrustful of people.