Foster care in the United States: Systems to improve placement stability for minors
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2405Keywords:
minors, foster careAbstract
The notion of fostering children has existed ever since humans could sympathize with their fellow human beings. To demonstrate, photographer Dorothea Lange captured a moment on camera during the Great Depression that attracted and interested the public. Lange photographed this moment to bring awareness to the plight of the poor who provided for others, including children, with exceptional difficulty. She hoped that the public would respond with sympathy and that they would aid those in need. Also drawing off of this idea, licensed clinical social worker Guitele J. Rahil et al. also expresses the notion of helping the needy. In an article that discusses the resilience of Haitian residents after the devastating 2010 earthquake, Rahil et al. state, “Youth from even the most disadvantaged areas demonstrated Haitian resilience in that they returned … to help recover survivors or remains of the deceased” (Rahil et al., 2016). These youth helped young children without parents cope with their situations and they provided care for the children who needed it. Considering these sources, the idea of helping children recover from damaging environments with the foster care system (FCS) comes to mind. Today, the FCS has adapted to modern living conditions and society. Proponents of the FCS in the United States widely acknowledge the system as a reliable method to help minors who need parental care. Such evaluations prompt the question: What are effective ways the foster care system can improve systems for placement stability for minors in the US? An analysis from the cultural, economic, and medical lenses shows that the FCS is faulty and requires new regulatory policies. These policies will ultimately assist minors in foster care in adjusting to their situations and adapting to their new environments.
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