There is a whole lot wrong with America's child protection system. Abusive and neglectful parents often continue to abuse or neglect their children long after their first contacts with the system. While that is going on, the children learn behaviors that help them survive in their dysfunctional families, but poorly equip them to do well in school or in more normal families. Foster parents get lots of training on politically correct rules and regulations, but get very little help from workers, who are almost always single women who have never had children of their own, and certainly have had no experience dealing with the kinds of behaviors we experience with foster children.
Now, because of highly publicized incidents of children being abused in foster homes, the system has gone over the edge into pure insanity. Yesterday a worker from our "therapeutic" foster care agency came to our house, as she does at least twice monthly. She gave me the usual handful of forms to fill out. One of the forms was an "incident report" form. She told me to fill one of these report forms every time a child suffers any kind of injury, even the most minute scratch. Then she explained that recently one of our very best foster homes failed to file an incident report. When the child visited his birthparents, they noticed a small bruise on the child's forehead and another small bruise behind his ear. Birthparents very often look for things to criticize in the way in which foster parents are caring for their child, so the birthparents can deflect attention away from their own shortcomings as parents.
In this situation, the foster parent had no idea how the child got these bruises, even though she is an extremely vigilant and competent individual. By the way, I currently have two cuts on my right hand and a bruise on my left hand, and have not a clue how they got there. It is called living!
The woman was caring for three foster children from three different counties. The county of her residence investigated, and finally decided, at nine p.m., that all three children be removed from the home. By the time the other two counties and the foster care agency were notified, it was 2 AM. At 2 AM workers removed the three children and took them to new foster homes. Can you imagine how devastating and traumatic this Nazi-like action was to these children and to this wonderful woman? As news spreads of incidents like this, it will be almost impossible for the system to attract and keep good foster parents.
4 comments:
The law is a blunt instrument - many are clubbed unfairly by insensitive bureaucrats.
As you know Bob, we have a big mess in Texas now, being handled by some fumbling agents.
not only will it put good foster families out of reach of the agencies, but it will increase the chances that these kids will never learn appropriate behavior.
and so these kids will be shuffled around and around, perhaps .never. knowing any stability in their lives.
Every foster parent I know has faced similar horrid conditions. The faith and love you all have to continue on is an inspiration.
In far too many cases CPS has gone out of it's mind in this country, Bob. They say they care for the welfare of the children then wake them up at 2:00AM and cart them away like so much garbage. How hypocritical they are!
I'm of the opinion CPS in my county is run by a Nazi. The things that they do are outrageous. I personally know of one loving mother who lost her slightly retarded son when he was 7 because he was always bruised. I personally testified that I've seen him run into things and fall down and that he does so many times a day. It didn't matter. They have put this boy in Foster care and the mother is devastated. She spent all the money she could afford on a lawyer but got nowhere. It's like the courts believe CPS over the people every time. I don't know what's to be done about them but they need to be stopped!
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