The
foster care system serves hundreds of thousands of children and families every
year. The primary goal of the foster care system is either to find permanent
homes for the children or assist families with the reunification process. According to Child Welfare information gateway
in 2011, 400,540 children received care from the child welfare system. While
some children were reunified with their families others were not, especially
children who had experienced domestic or physical abused. Abused children along
with others who have not been abused are placed in the concurrent process. The
concurrent process is about finding a stable or permanent home for children,
just in case their parents’ rights are revoked. The child welfare system has gotten several
critiques about the concurrent process practice. Opponents of the concurrent
process argue that case workers do not spend ample time helping biological
families work through issues in order to be reunified with their children
because of the concurrent process option; therefore the concurrent process is
undermining the reunification process.
The
reunification process allows families 12 to 18 months to solve their challenges
or their parental rights are revoked. Personally I feel this is too short of a
time period, especially for parents facing acute poverty and challenges.
While
the concurrent process seems like a good strategy to plan ahead for the worst
outcome, it also sends out a negative a message to children and families
involved. Parents coming out of a difficult situation may already feel defeated
by the system and may be suffering from low self-efficacy issues. Therefore learning another
option is being examined long before they have their day in court, may be very discouraging
and may cause them not try hard enough to follow the required guidelines,
giving up prematurely on themselves and children.
My question is, what other approach is
available without causing parents to feel condemned by the system?
I have never looked too much into the foster care system so I was not aware of this all. I definitely think that, as you said, 12-18 months is not enough time for some parents to solve their challenges. I feel that after that time period if they do not have a plan established/are completing that plan then that is when they should be starting the concurrent process. I strongly believe that every child belongs with their family. The child welfare system should be an aide to parents who want to be better instead of hindering them from the people they love the most.
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