...As previously mentioned, for foster youth, having access to programs and supportive adults who impart and teach the skills necessary for adulthood is crucial in a successful transition from childhood to adulthood. Studies show that one of the prevailing factors associated with a successful transition from foster care to adulthood are the youth's acquisition of independent living skills while the youth is still in foster care (Lemon, Hines & Merdinger, 2005; Casey Family Programs, 2001; Pecora, Williams, Kessler, Downs, O'Brien, Hiripi, & Morello, 2003; Georgiades, 2005). Youth who participate in programs that assist with learning skills such as how to find housing, how to balance a checkbook or open a bank account, and how to obtain and keep employment, have higher success...
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...The published document, Aging out of foster care: The experiences of former foster youth who successfully navigated this transition by Margot Hedenstrom explains the experiences of former youth who was successful when transitioning out of foster care. She was able to study this by using participants ages 20-25 that transitioned out of foster care. Hedenstrom studied the risk and outcomes of youth who have transitioned. Some of the risks include drug abuse, early parenthood, and, as well as violence toward other individuals (Hedenstrom, 2014). Those who were unable to become self-sufficient often lack family or social support. Which supports the use of extended foster care because if some of those youth were able to stay in foster care longer...
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...HSM230] Tami Gannon [Patricia Reid] HSM230] Tami Gannon A Brighter Tomorrow A Brighter Tomorrow Once a child in foster care turns 18, they age out of foster care. Many of these teens have neither any one nor nowhere to go. About 20,000 teens will age of foster care every year. When most of these teen are forced out of the system, they don’t have the skills needed to live independently. They lack education, life skills, job skills, and coping skills. Pera,E. (2009) A Brighter Tomorrow (ABT) is a nonprofit residential program, which will provide these emancipated teens the skills needed to live independently. ABT offers educational classes that will assist the teens with getting their high school diplomas, or their GEDs. The facts show that 50% of foster children drop out of high school and on average, only 7-13% of foster youth enroll in higher education. ABT will also provide life skills courses, job readiness skills, and skills needed to run a household like how to pay house hold bills, budgeting and how to balance a check book. A Brighter Tomorrow will also provide counseling to help identify and help with any issues the teens may have. A Brighter Tomorrow will also offer Planned Parenthood and parenting classes, because the statistics show that by the age of 19, girls who had been in foster care were two and a half times more likely than were girls nationwide to have become pregnant and nearly three times more likely to have had a child. These classes will...
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...According to Angela C. Baum, Sedahlia Jasper Crase and Kirsten Lee Crase, authors of "Influences on the Decision to Become or Not Become a Foster Parent¨, ¨research has shown that foster children have up to seven times more emotional adjustment problems, developmental delays and acute and chronic health problems than the comparative group of poor children” (2). Foster care was created to help all children from all different backgrounds when dealing with a family crisis. Its goals include the separation of family until the problems are overcome; to adopt the children out and find them a new, permanent family; or to terminate the legal guardians parental rights completely, putting that child in the enduring cycle of foster care. Vast amounts...
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...special circumstances. KRNCS works to reunify children in a safe and stable family environment. Should a child be unable to return to their biological family, KRNCS helps to locate and finalize a permanent placement. In addition to foster/adoptive success, the site also provides a wide variety of community services such as: CFI/mediation, therapy (individual, family, couples), home studies, contractual adoptive services inner and out of state, family preservation, supervised parenting time, classes such as CPR, first aid, and parenting classes, parent child interactional, and life skills. Rashida Gordon is a case worker for the Kids Resource Network of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Rashida is a therapist, who uses client centered therapy as her approach. She believes in order to assist in behavioral changes; one must have emphasis in that one person to focus. KRNCS main population is foster kids ages 0-18 years of age and biological parents of all ages Majority of KRNCS clients are Caucasian females with barely a high school education, income below poverty or on welfare and alcohol or drug dependency. Usually there are not very men if any since most of the males abandon their children or do not comply with court orders. The biological parents of the foster...
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...youth that are transitioning from care to independent living. The programs were used in training sessions over the course of 5 months, with eight one-day training sessions. The training sessions took place in Massachusetts. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau funded the project (Collins, Hill, Miranda, 2003, p. 43). The purpose of the training programs were to train group home workers in assisting foster care youth in the transition from care to independent living. The authors realized that there's very little attention paid to staff in group homes and training programs toward supervisors. "The training program was, therefore, designed with the assumptions that community-based group home staff members are fundamental to the preparation of youth for later independence," (Collins et al, 2008, p. 43). The training was in collaboration with a school of social work and public care welfare agency. The attendants include a total of 186 that were mainly group home supervisors and workers. Also in attendance were staff of Massachusetts Department of Social Services Adolescent Outreach Program (Collins et al, 2008, p. 44). The training sessions intentionally took in consideration the challenges of transition youth from care to independent living. Four main topics were covered during the training sessions; positive youth development, utilizing relational and task models in youth work, the use of transition planning framework, and building...
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...20, 2015 Hello Frank, My name is Yasmin Harris and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I am requesting your assistance in obtaining Mr. Christian Keyes’ availability for a speaking engagement in Los Angeles, California on June 4, 2015. I read on the internet that Christian Keyes grew up in foster care. I don’t know how accurate the internet is nowadays, however, I did read an article on http://suavv.com, which is from an interview regarding Christian Keyes’ childhood. If this story has any truth to it, Christian Keyes is the best candidate to share his story and words of encouragement to our youth. The event is hosted by investors of the Vista Del Mar Child and Family Service which is a private group home for child development. The facility provides shelter, food and clothes to children and assists young teens that have been forced out onto the streets. We find that youth who transition from foster care, often end up living on the streets or are placed in group homes. Generally, they are left with little help and little hope. Would Mr. Keyes be willing to speak to the children and investors? This would allow the youth to see what success looks like after foster care. Christian Keyes’ success story speaks for itself. Mr. Keyes’ presence at the event would encourage the youth and motivate them to become successful in life. Most of these children do not have a positive future ahead of them. We wish to encourage and infuse faith, hope, discipline and determination...
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...Cha’Von Hines MSW: 493 Severe Mental Illness and Aging out DePaul University I currently provide direct service to young adult’s between the ages of 18 and 20 years old who suffer from severe mental illness. These young adults are currently Wards of the State of Illinois and are close to “aging out” of the Child Welfare System. They currently reside in an Independent Living Program where they receive specialized support to help them transition from a residential treatment center into the community. The program emphasizes on building self-sufficiency, problem-solving skills, educational and employment development skills to prepare them for emancipation. Most lack education, housing, medical insurance, and are deficient in adaptive and social skills. They have a history of chemical dependency and an extensive involvement in the criminal justice system. Many of these young adults were stripped of family support upon entering the Child Welfare System and continue to carry past traumas of maltreatment and being removed from their homes. They are also aging out without being without being linked with adequate resources and the continuity of support services. The rescores and support system will end abruptly and they will have to quickly adapt to adulthood alone. I selected Young Adults with Severe Mental Illness as my community focus because I discovered that they face significant adversity after they age out of the Child Welfare System. As a result of being abused or neglected...
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...that will strengthen the community and enable families and individuals to move toward independence.” (Michigan.gov) DHS provides an array of services to individuals and families, these include: food assistance, cash assistance, health care assistance, children services, adult services, and many more. Since there are so many services under the umbrella of DHS, I will focus on a part of the organization that I am familiar with, Foster care services. Approximately 14,000 Michigan children are in foster care at any given time (Michigan.gov). Foster cares mission statement is “Families first”, meaning the goal is for children to have reunification with their families. So when children cannot be returned to their homes, relatives or foster parents are often asked to provide permanent homes. Foster families provide children in this situation with the consistency and support they need to successfully transition to adulthood (Michigan.gov). In terms of operative goals, there are seven that encompass DHS and represent what the organizations day-to day goals are. The operative goals include: Safety, children’s needs, family’s needs, communities, placement, reunification and permanence, and services. Let me expand on each of these goals. Foster cares first priority is to keep children safe. So when parents/families can’t or do not fulfill this necessity, DHS has been delegated the authority to intervene on behalf of the child. Children’s needs:...
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...souls as well. The statistics for aging out of foster care for teenagers are ridiculous. In 2014 more than 22,000 young people failed to reunite with their families or be placed in a permanent home by the age of 18. They will age out the system without a family and a place to stay to make it out on their own. It has been said that youth that aged out of the system are more likely than youth in general populations to graduate from high school and are less likely to attend and graduate college. This is only because they do not have the guidance and the right support to do so. I honestly feel like even when the kids are placed in foster care there is no love given or inspiration towards the kids. This makes the kids not look forward to the future and start thinking less of themselves. There should be something done that can help these kids be better by support. I have been doing some research and there is others out there that do feel the same way as I do. Many children's rights advocates would argue the government isn't doing enough to address the concerns of aging out in the foster care system. For instance Misty Stenslie, Deputy Director of Foster Care Alumni of America, a community of former children in foster care that works to transform foster care practice and policy, spent about 12 years in foster care. She lived in about 30 different places which included kinship care (relatives), group homes, foster homes, therapeutic foster homes, psychiatric facilities, and correctional...
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...Foster Care In the United States the homeless is on the rise. Much of this can be attributed to not only the lack of jobs, but also the improper care provided in critical developmental stages of one's life. Much of this improper care comes from our foster care system. A government run program is very corrupt not to mention inefficient. The foster care system is broken leaving 18 year olds helpless, on the streets, and drugs or prison. All of this could be prevented if these children were properly placed and if more funding went into it. Many children do not get adopted in the foster care system. In most states when a child turns 18 they are no longer able to remain in the foster care system. Some states have extended time where a child can...
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...Foster Care in the United States Sue King Liberty University Abstract The history of foster care in the United States started with orphan trains and the Children’s Aid Society founded by Charles Loring Brace. Recent research describes the child welfare system as an organization that provides service to helpless children in need. This paper will discuss foster care as it is relates to safety, permanency, and wellbeing of children in need The role of a foster parent and the process of loss, and grief after a child leave their biological parents will be discussed. Research suggests that Courts has the final decision whether a child will stay in foster care or return home. This paper will describe the developmental impact that foster care has on children after losing their biological family. There are several risk factors associated with poverty. This paper will discuss the significance of children reuniting with their biological parents and/or being adopted for permanency. Empirical evidence from recent research confirmed that hard times during childhood was related to health problems later in life. Foster care reform, educational outcomes, economic incentives for adoption, mentors and home visitation programs should be implemented to improve the foster care system. Keywords: foster care, developmental, health problems, orphan trains Foster Care in the United States The prevalence rate is high for foster care in the United States. The history...
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...Child abuse and Neglect to Juvenile Crime TESST College of Technology Juvenile Delinquency September 5, 2012 I believe that maltreatment does influence a juvenile in becoming a delinquent. The juvenile learns that this is acceptable behavior from the people that have the most influence in their lives. Once they realize that this is not a tolerated behavior they tend to act out in all sorts of forms, upon themselves and others. They now hold no fear in defying society. Maltreatment does have an influence upon delinquent behaviors. "Maltreatment is referred to as the parental behaviors that are considered acts intended to inflict physical or psychological harm and that reflect a lack of concern for the adolescent's well-being, sense of self and social competence." (Kilpatrick, Saunders, Benjamin & Smith, 2003). Maltreatment causes neurological damage, deficits in cognitive socio-emotional functioning, and learning of antisocial problem solving and failure in school. Today's society seems out to punish the delinquents for their behavior. Life at home, their morals and values learned through their parents should also be examined as well. Children are like clay, what is molded and pounded into them hardens and is that way until it is melted and restructured. People need to take into consideration how they were raised and what was taught to them their whole life. Yet, there are exceptions to this. Some children just have problems brought about on their own. Prominent...
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...What affect does foster care have on children? Is it a stable and supportive environment? Foster care allows kids to have a chance to live a somewhat normal life. There are advantages and disadvantages for kids living in foster homes, but questions arise when there are foster parents that do not provide a stable environment. When we are not aware of these situations of unstable foster homes the kids placed in those foster homes will not have a good survival rate for success. Although there are parents out there that provide security for their foster children, we still need to be aware of the circumstances of kids placed in foster homes that are not safe and secure. Foster care is a great system to provide kids with families who do not...
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...Trauma-Informed Practices Within Foster Care Marya Feldt Washburn University Trauma-Informed Practices Within Foster Care Adolescents within the foster care system have experienced reportedly more traumatic events than the average person. These adverse experiences may be the result of poor family environments, sexual, physical, or psychological abuse which could lead to the placement of children in the foster care system. However, often traumatic experiences do not end with the placement of an adolescent into a new home. Adolescents face numerous stressors when placed in foster care, including fear of separation from siblings, friends, communities and confusion about the future (Conradi et al., 2011). Trauma experienced...
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