The numbers of sex offenders continue to grow in our country. It was reported the other day on television that more women are becoming sex offenders. Teachers and other women are having sexual relations with teenage boys.

You may be asking what does this have to do with foster care? In Texas, a mother of two small children (age: 4 and 5) was convicted of sexual assault. She was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The children have been in foster care since August 2006. The biological father is in California and was represented by an attorney. Other family members are unwilling to take the children. CPS has asked a judge to terminate the children’s parental rights.

The truth is, the biological mother will be unable to parent her children due to her 23 year sentence to prison and not to mention that now she is a sex offender. At this point the biological father has failed to come see his children since they have been placed into foster care.
When a person chooses to become a sexual offender or predator should they lose their right to be a parent? Should the crime be viewed differently for a sexual offender that rapes an adult person or sexual offender that targets children?

The sexual crime itself is bad enough but in my opinion, you also have to view this crime as a extreme act of violence. I question the ability of a sex offender to be able to parent and raise a healthy child while ensuring his safety. The next concern would be any other children that would be around the sex offender, and the risk factor for them if they were parenting their children.

This is not something new to foster care, but it is now starting to receive more notice and publicity. With the tables turning, and now we are starting to see more women becoming sex offenders this is something that will become an issue when parental rights become an issue.

More reading:

The Repeated Cycle of Foster Care and Child Abuse

Abuse by a Foster Child: Finding Help

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