Feeling Sorry For or Having Empathy

It is our responsibility to teach these foster children to be productive and responsible members of society. By constantly making excuses and feeling sorry for these children gives them to feeling that the world owes them something. Yes, as abused foster children they are entitled to a safe home, food, security, love, expectance, be a child and to have parents that put them first. While most of these children have endured... more

Feeling sorry for and having empathy for foster children are two totally different things. Each one of these can have a lasting impact on foster children and teaches them a lot (not all good things). I do not think people really think about the outcome of their actions towards foster children.

First; feeling sorry for foster children:

It is easy for us to feel sorry for what these children have suffered through in their lives. In school teachers tend to feel sorry for the abused child and then starts looking the other way when she is falling... more

This is where the foster children’s future will be talked about and how they are coping. The meeting should take place every six months to discuss the progress, or lack of it. This meeting should take place at child welfare offices with the biological and foster parents both being invited along with child welfare staff (can also include CASA worker, other persons representing the foster children, lawyers for biological parents, or biological family members).

Sometimes the foster parents are given less than 24 hours notice which can make things difficult.... more

Abuse – The types of abuse include physical, sexual and neglect. The Federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect, at a minimum, as “any recent act or failure on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm” to a child.

Adjudicatory Hearing - To address allegations of child abuse or neglect in a petition presented to the court.

Aging Out – When a foster teen... more

I have heard that I do not understand the term, a mother’s love, being used when I have talked about biological mothers abusing or neglecting their children. As a foster parent, I do get this thrown in my face quite a lot from biological families and others. Is the abuse that foster children suffer in the name of a mother’s love?

A child beaten to the point of breaking bones

An 8 month old baby accidentally ingested meth and other drugs A... more

The foster care system has so many issues, and challenges that it is facing on a daily basis. What is strange is that the system continues to make more problems. Finding foster parents to provide care for the children is a challenge for child welfare, but every time you turn around, there is a new law popping up.

I totally understand and support any laws that protect foster children. Does there need to be laws just of the heck of it? In Texas, there are a couple of questionable laws that are in place and in the works to become in place. A new for... more

First and foremost foster parents are just caring for children in a tragic situation when they are placed in the foster home. We do not go searching for children to parent. Where would the foster children be without the foster parents and homes? They would be living in shelters and orphanages and I have heard horror stories from foster children that have spent time in shelters. There are some foster children that are in care that are sexual predators, some are very violent and care about no one but themselves. A number of foster children are in and out of juvenile... more

There are great benefits to placing foster children in early childhood programs offered by the public schools. The benefits can be life long.

Foster children coming out of an abusive, neglectful or just overall bad living situation need structure, consistency, and they need to develop social skills. Most foster children have delays with their education needs and extra help is necessary to meet their education and developmental milestones.

Developing social skills is a great benefit from these types of programs. In most cases, these children... more

South Carolina is working towards streamlining foster care adoptions. A task force has been appointed to help address some problems and challenges that come with adopting from foster care. I always wonder when task forces or committees are formed if they place any foster parents on them since we are the ones that deal with a lot of the problems. This task force will include two longtime foster parents.

Anyone that has adopted for the state child welfare system can relate... more

A state rallies behind a foster teen in her hope to be adopted. A 15 year old girl named Brittney in Las Vegas was placed in foster care after she was paralyzed in a vicious knife attack that killed her younger 3 year old sister.

The foster teen has blossomed in the care of her foster parents. She has requested to be adopted by her foster parents. The District Court level has denied her request and the Nevada Supreme Court will be hearing her requested in the near... more