Got love?
Written by David WhiteToday is the start of national foster care fortnight. There is a massive shortage of foster carers in the UK. Do you care? Could you?
Image above © John Wilson.
Looking after a child in need can totally transform their life. You don’t need to be a superhero – normal is more than enough. That’ll be you then, probably. (Caveat inserted due to having met many duck readers 😉 )
If you have room in your house and in your heart then please give it some thought, surely that’s the least these children can expect.
Thanks.
Discussion (1 Comment)
There is a shortage of qualified foster care families here in Florida as well. Many children are housed with families who can pass the homestudy (criminal background and child abuse checks) but they, the children, still receive sub standard care. Many of the foster parents become foster parents for the right reasons but many become foster parents just for the monthly check that they receive for the child’s expenses.
The foster care system was set up as a cushion so the biological parents can get their lives together and get their children back. However, until recently, it was possible for children to languish in foster care, going from one home to another, for up to ten years (maybe longer). The State of Florida through the Department of Children and Families, or the private companies it contracted its services to, now tries to seek permanence for a child much quicker. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
One of the reasons why so many children languish in foster care is the inherent systemic bias against gay adoptive parents, even though the ban against gays and lesbians adopting children was recently declared unconstitutional. Gays and lesbians were permitted to be foster parents but were not permitted to adopt. Many of these couples wanted to be permanent parents and were willing to take and adopt children that no other couple would take, but the State of Florida fought them tooth and nail to prevent “legal” permanancy (they would not remove the child but they would not permit the child to be adopted).
Things are changing, but it will take a generation or two to change the system here in Florida.