Impact of Global Trends on Problems Facing the Foster Care System

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The United Nations guidelines on alternative care for children encourage efforts to keep children with their families whenever possible. When it is unsafe for the child to live with his or her biological parents, the state is obligated to place the child in an effective system of care, such as foster care, and appoints Court Appointed Special Advocates for the child (UNICEF, 2017). The paper describes the role of a court-appointed special advocate for minors and the assessment process used with the client. It also details the issues minors in foster care face and how global trends exacerbate them.

Discussion

The client is a 15-year-old African-American kid living with an African-American foster family. The married couple shares their home with their 17-year-old daughter and the foster son. The woman is a stay-at-home mother, while the husband works as a Salesperson at a startup. The family has nurtured the youngster, who was a victim of neglect for six years, in their own home. However, this is his second placement after spending a year in a white household when he was eight years old, but it did not work out since the foster parents quit the foster program.

As the Court Appointed Special Advocate for the minor, my roles are crucial in helping the social worker and children’s attorney achieve long-term objectives. Some of the roles include meeting with the minor, guardians, relatives, neighbors, school staff, and clinical practitioners, who are partaking in the child’s surroundings on a monthly basis to gather information about the case. Thereafter I evaluate relevant documents and reports and present all factual information to the Judge at each scheduled hearing at the court. Additionally, I conduct the submission of a written report that contains information about the minor’s case to the CASA headquarters ten working days before each hearing. My role also includes keeping an eye on the situation to ensure that the legal and child social programs are working to ensure the youth attains a secure, long-term home.

The research is longitudinal qualitative research, a tool for investigating the dynamic nature of individuals’ lives. The minor in the foster care system was assessed using semi-structured open-ended questions through interviews with the foster parent, neighbor, school official, and physician. Furthermore, the assessment included an examination of other sources, such as records and documents from the physician and the school, to evaluate the minors’ progress. Questions posed to the minor included inquiries about his feelings regarding school, whether the relatives had visited, whether the foster home was enjoyable and whether he had encountered any challenges.

Foster care services’ primary goal is to provide youngsters with safe, stable, and needs-satisfying care before reunifying them with their biological parents. Foster homes may help protect children from the effects of trauma caused by neglect or abuse, which is one of its strengths. It is also a chance to help the youngster and the community. Additionally, it presents a chance to give a youngster a fresh outlook on life, provide a biological parent time to recover from addiction and assist the youngster in transitioning from childhood to maturity.

Among the issues with the foster care system is trauma brought on by being split from the original family. The minors struggle with mental health problems like anxiety and fear since it takes time to develop confidence in the new adult (Font, 2020). Multiple placements increase the usage of mental health services by foster children, which is another problem that children frequently encounter. Additionally, as minors move around, services like schooling, counseling, and health care become scattered. Unfulfilled physical and mental health requirements, developmental delays, and behavioral issues are present when children enter foster care. Additionally, the guardians and biological parents occasionally lose jobs and cannot meet the children’s requirements. Shortage of temporary foster families capable and ready to care for the requirements of youngsters entering foster care, ongoing issues with keeping a skilled staff, and insufficient resources for kids and biological parents are all ongoing issues.

The global rise of a more culturally diverse population and global inflation has exacerbated the difficulties at the macro and mezzo levels. At the mezzo level, some households may lack dependable internet connectivity or technological equipment due to inadequate finances to access services. At the macro level, the global rise of a more culturally diverse population has significantly impacted the foster care system, resulting in multiple placements of minors because the families chosen do not meet the minor’s specific cultural needs (Abbott, 2022). Owing to inflation and the epidemic, parents lost jobs and thus may have difficulties proving that they would be able to offer a secure and stable home for their child. Children may not be eligible for subsidies via the federal Child Care Development Block Grant, which supports childcare services throughout the nation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, at the macro and mezzo levels, global trends such as the rise of a more culturally diverse population and global inflation have exacerbated the problems faced by foster care systems. These trends exacerbate problems such as multiple placements and access to services. The most important aspect of conducting an assessment that maintains engagement and leads to an effective action plan is conducting face-to-face interviews and referring to documents and reports. Next time, I will conduct interviews with the minor’s classmates and friends to accurately assess his character and feelings. I also plan to spend an entire day with the youngster just having fun to understand his unique needs and strengths fully.