How does the foster care system work?

Question

We've all seen things like 'Annie' where the kid from the orphanage gets adopted by the billionare 'Warbucks', but that was in 1933. What's it like for those millions of kids in the foster care system? How does it work nowadays? I've just been wondering for a while.

Answer 1

The foster care system in this country is a joke! We adopted from overseas and were pleased with the process, etc. The child we tried to adopt from the U.S. was so badly damaged we couldn't even proceed with the adoption after spending a few days with him. He had been sexually abused, witnessed a foster parent be murdered and numerous other situations that were not his fault. I think about him all the time even though nearly 10 years have passed. I pray that he found a home with parents who could handle his special needs. We could not because his sexual acting out and violence put our other children at risk. He never should have even been considered for placement with us because we had other children. Pray for all children in all countries who do not have a family to call their own. That is the biggest shame of all.

Answer 2

Foster cares works by taking the child from its birth parents until they are fit to look after the child. If not the child would be put under the guardianship of the minister (this is Australian foster care system; each country is different) and then the foster family can either decide too look after the child until its 18 or the government just passes the child from one home to the next until it's 18.

I should know I'm an ex foster child. I was taken away from my parents because they were 15 and my father was abusive to me. Luckily my social worker found me a good home. don't get me wrong i was one of the lucky kids but I was molested by their son. But if i put that aside i had the best life a foster child could have. most get abused(mentally physically, sexually etc) its a **** system because some kids get help from their social workers and others don't.

Answer 3

Tickled Blue gives a pretty accurate depiction, with the exception of the financial aspect. I personally had a daughter lose a child to foster care, and gain her back. She was charged $1500 each month(owed over 6k now) and the foster parents were paid $700. I had assigned visit and  she came dressed in filthly thrift store rags. As she left, I see her get into a brand new van with people were not very friendly toned. So next visit I brought 3 new outfits(she was in dirty nasty clothes when she came) I would buy brand new outfits and send them with her each visit, but she always came in old clothes. I asked her where her new ones were and she said she didn't know, her foster parents only allowed her to have the clothes for that day, and she had never even worn the new ones. So I began cutting the store tags out, still she never got to wear them. After 3 months she was switched to a new family because they felt she wasn't a good fit(my grandaughter had told her social worker she didn't like seeing s*x on tv and the next day the family said she "didn't fit in". The next family was better, however, again seemed to be in it for the money. I now work as a volunteer with several foster kids, and repeatedly I hear the same stories. These kids are a commodity. You rarely see someone just doing 1 child, its usually 4-6, which in california equates to 2800-4200 a month. Keep in mind these foster parents pay for no health care AND are given food stamps to feed the children. I'm not saying they are all corrupt, but the majority of them are that I have dealings with. The older children are used to watch the younger ones. Its a very sad situation, and there is not enough time for social workers to investigate unless there is phyiscal abuse going on.

Answer 4

Foster parents sign up through DSS and are given a bunch of paperwork and are generally given background/fingerprint checks. They are often required to attend parenting courses provided by DSS or CPS. Then, they wait for a child in need to be placed with them based on their preferences/needs. Foster care is a temporary home until a better arrangement can be found or the child can be placed back into their parents' home. The child can stay with the foster family for 24 hours or 2 years, depending on the situation. Often, the parents are required to get help, therapy, attend counseling, drug treatment, etc...before the child can be returned. If they are making a good faith effort, then the child remains in the foster home until the parents have completed their necessary path of imporvement. The parents have the right to regular scheduled visits with their child at a DSS location usually. If a parent does nothing to progress out of their situation, then the child...after a period of time, has a status change to foster to adopt....DSS will look for family members or other caregivers to find a placement...or to the foster parent if interested...or an outside party wishing to adopt. Once a placement is found, there is a trial period of usually 1 year, and then the placement is turned into a full adoption and termination of parental rights for the first parents.

Answer 5

i am 17 and i have been in foster care since i was 9. i will tell you that it is the worst thing to do to any child next to abusing them  in foster care u r not genually loved you r parted out like an outcast. the bio child if any is always with no exeption above you and it is all a bunch of ******* BULL **** AND I ******* HATE IT!

Answer 6

If a child gets taken from their home, they go to foster care.  The main goal is to get that child back to their original parents.  If the parents aren't fit to take the child back, then the state terminates their parental rights and the child is available for adoption.  The child stays in foster care and could be passed on to many different foster families while waiting to be adopted.  Most don't get adopted and are left to live life on their own when they turn 18.