Who is responsible for the very existance of Foster Care?

Question

Aren't the parents of the foster children responsible for creating the demand for foster care? Aren't they the ones supplying children for foster care?

Or is it the system and the government? Would the government demand we have foster care if there wasn't a need for it? how does the government create the need for foster care?

Answer 1

The children who are in the foster care system are removed from their biological parents for various reasons.  They are too many to list.  It ranges from sexual abuse, neglect, drug abuse involving the parents, failure to protect, physical abuse, starving the children, locking them in cages, you name it....the list goes on and on.  

However, you must also understand that some of these biological parents lose their children to a money hungry monster created by what is known as the MONDALE act passed in 1974.  This is what created what is today known as CPS, (Child Protective Services).  This agency when it was created was badly needed.  Children were being abused.  

This is why it was created.  But today things have changed and now the term "Child Abuse" has an expanded meaning.  It now includes things like 1. feeding your child McDonalds meals three times in one week.  2.  Asking your child to do the dishes.  3. Requiring your teen to be in the house before ten oc'clock on a school night.  4.  Refusing to purchase an expensive prom dress. Etc.  You get the idea.  Now each and everything we do can now be called child abuse.  Now if your teenager doesn't want to do the dishes he will say things like "I don't have to listen to you, and if you make me I'll call CPS and tell them you slapped me"!  I have heard this with my own ears from a foster child.  This was from a foster girl (14) who wanted to meet her 20 year old boy friend at 11pm on a school night.  The foster parent faced charges of child abuse.

You asked where these children come from, there are 840,000 children in the foster care system today. There are only 168,000 foster homes to place them in.  You asked if foster parents of the foster children responsible for creating the demands for foster care?  Absolutely not.  Foster parents become foster parents to help the children who are caught in a system out of control.  I mentioned the CPS money monster.  When children are removed from the paretns and enter the foster care system Judges are assigned to each child, then the judges farm them out to AGENCIES.  The agencies are then responsible to the judges for the care of the children.  The state licenses foster parents and then the foster parents once licensed hang their license at one agency, who then places the children with them for their care.  The Agency gets monies paid by the Federal and State governments.  This is usually between $1500-$1800. per month per child, up to $3000 for special needs.  Then the foster parents are Reimbursed for their expenses, national average is about $360. per month per child.  More for special needs about ($530).  

This is basically how it works.  So the foster parents have nothing whatsoever to do with the children being in the system to begin with, they are just trying to help these children who need someone to care, someone to love them.

This is now a billion dollar business for CPS across the country, a new commodity. They are taking children away from biological parents for little of nothing, those with the money to fight it win, those who are poor don't.....You see Lady Justice wears a price tag on her sleeve.

Answer 2

Obviously there are children in need, but they aren't the ones RUNNING foster care, nor are their parents.  The important issue in foster care is HOW WELL it does its job.  The foster care system is a government run system.  It is up to the government to make certain that children aren't going from the frying pan into the fire, so to speak.  The foster care system needs to be held to a higher standard of providing care than any parents because of the very reason for its existence.

Answer 3

I think, without placing "blame" per se, that the parents have caused the existance of Foster Care.  But before you think I'm joining you on your crusade, there's more.  I also think that this is why some adoption is neccesary, and should be more accepted.  Just think of the children that instead of the "horror story" of foster care that they've gone through-  they could have been placed with a loving family from the start.  Surely this is no guarantee, that is why I said "could have".  Be open to the alternative.  This is why I do not agree with coercion to parent, nor in most cases, "family preservation".  Hope my perspective helps.

Answer 4

In the old days they just put the children in "mental hospitals" or orphanages...

Other children just died young---my dad lost 3 siblings, his mother had a total of 12 children in about 11 years....  

No one really cared about my dad and his siblings.... they were abused....they grew up escaped and had no idea where the lines were....

Was it better?