Foster Care American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
 |
Over 500,000 children in the U.S. currently reside in some form
of foster care. Placements in foster care have dramatically
increased over the past 10 years. Despite the increasing numbers,
children in foster care and foster parents are mostly invisible in
communities and often lack many needed supports and resources. In
situations of abuse and neglect, children may be |
removed from their parents home by a child welfare agency and placed
in foster care. Other reasons for foster placement include severe
behavioral problems in the child and/or a variety of parental problems,
such as abandonment, illness (physical or emotional), incarceration,
AIDS, alcohol/substance abuse, and death.
African-American children make up approximately two thirds of the
foster care population and remain in care longer. Two out of three
children who enter foster care are reunited with their birth parents
within two years. A significant number, however, can spend long periods
of time in care awaiting adoption or other permanent arrangement. Making
decisions about the future for a child in foster care is called
permanency planning. Options include: returning the child to his/her
birth parents; termination of parental rights (a formal legal procedure)
to be followed, hopefully, by adoption; or long-term care with foster
parents or relatives. Most states encourage efforts to provide the birth
parents with support and needed services (e.g. mental health or
drug/alcohol treatment, parent skills, training and assistance with
child care and/or adequate housing) so their child can be returned to
them. When parental rights have been terminated by the court, most
states will try to place children with relatives (kinship foster
care-relative placement which may lead to adoption by the relative.
Being removed from their home and placed in foster care is a
difficult and stressful experience for any child. Many of these children
have suffered some form of serious abuse or neglect. About 30% of
children in foster care have severe emotional, behavioral, or
developmental problems. Physical health problems are also common. Most
children, however, show remarkable resiliency and determination to go on
with their lives. Children in foster care often struggle with the
following issues:
- Recognizing the limits
of their emotional attachment to the child
-
Recognizing their
difficulties in letting the child return to birth parents
- Dealing with the complex
needs (emotional, physical, etc.) of children in their care
- birth parents
Children in foster care who have emotional or behavioral problems
may be referred for a psychiatric evaluation. Some child and
adolescent psychiatrists provide consultation to Juvenile/Family
Courts and child welfare agencies. Child and adolescent psychiatrists
also provide comprehensive evaluations including diagnosis and the
development of treatment plans. They also provide direct treatment
(e.g., psychotherapy, family therapy, psychiatric medication) to a
child. Children in foster care have special and complex needs which
are best addressed by a coordinated team which usually includes the
birth parents, foster parents, mental health professionals (including
child and adolescent psychiatrists) and child welfare staff.
For
additional information about foster care contact the Child Welfare
League of America (CWLA) 440 First Street, NW, Third Floor,
Washington, D.C. 20001-2085.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
represents over 6,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists who are
physicians with at least five years of additional training beyond
medical school in general (adult) and child and adolescent psychiatry.
Facts for Families is developed and distributed by the American
Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). Facts sheets may
be reproduced for personal or educational use without written
permission, but cannot be included in material presented for sale.
disclaimer
copyright
|
