Continued............

A sixteen year old white foster girl was placed in a foster family in an Hispanic area. She kept telling her caseworker that she could not live there and needed to be moved. This young girl was not even use to visiting the area she was now living in. She told her caseworker she would run away if she was not moved. They decided not to move her. Yes, she did run away. She has been gone for months and no one has heard from her. Now, this sixteen year old child is most likely living on the streets, she still has to deal with her abuse and abandonment issues not just from the bio family but now the system that was suppose to protect her.

I do understand this is not cut and dry. Most people will have strong feelings about this. I think we as foster parents and the agency need to take into account the over all picture of a placement of a child. The child should be in a home where they feel they can deal with their past and the abuse they have lived through. I have not personally dealt with this issues but have seen other foster parents and foster children deal with it. I believe you may have to realize that you live in a area that makes it very difficult for the foster child due to demographics, cultures, lifestyles, and your family unit, that fostering some children may not work for you and the foster children.

In the end I believe we all have to do what is best for the foster child and give them the support and a home ,even if is not your home, to start the healing process. Most of these children have been so greatly traumatized and have so much to deal with, so they can go on to live a normal life. I do believe this can and does happen in home with different racial make ups. I do know of a number of successful foster homes that do not see race just people and children.

The agency I work with have had some issues on this subject and the caseworkers are pretty divided on the subject. My caseworker asked me what I thought and so I thought I would get some different views.

Please, post your thoughts, beliefs or experiences concerning this.

"Love, like sunshine’s warmth, beams forth on every side and bends to every need."