For first time, national data reveal just how hard foster care is on children’s health

I just read the article written by Ryan White and I agree with his observations and as a foster and now adoptive parents I went through these same stages. I learned that foster/adoption mental health services are not really equipped to help the amount of loss these children endure with the biggest loss of being removed from their families. I found that the kids develop coping skills to live within their families situations and in foster care/adoption spend years trying to overcome the effects of being removed from their families this has had on their lives.

So now I say if you can't really help them then put impact services in the areas/schools where this is more prevelant so these kids can gravitate towards opportunities and healthy relationships vs removing them from their families and they can influence (empowerment) changes in their homes/communities.

One of the biggest factors is that most of my adoptive kids bio parents are developmentally delayed and so are the kids. So without opportunities for people in our society I have noticed that they all have turned to "survival" living.

Thank you for this. As the foster/adoptive parent of three, I love my children tremendously, but if I had a choice I'd rather that their biological families had the supports and opportunities to be healthy parents. Foster care is always a tragic choice.

Love your articles.

Hello,

I would like to raise public awareness, that in some states the supervisors and directors of children's protective services and foster care services are not even licensed in mental health, nor do they have a Masters level mental health education and licensing, and they are the ones calling the shots, shooting down social workers trained in mental health that advocate for children and families. The social workers in the field are taking the hits because they are trying to do what is right but their supervisors block them, often having bachelors degrees, and not even in social work. At least, that is the case in our state. It is unbelievable to me that people not trained in mental health, are calling the shots for vulnerable children and families, and some of them just read vigilante style. And it is not the fault of the social workers. It is the fault of those who put in place lower qualifications for the supervisors, directors, and regional directors, that are required for the Masters level social worker to do the groundwork and care about children and families. When the licensed masters clinicians must bow to their supervisors and directors, who often have lower level of educations in a profession that is not even related to the caring professions, this creates a great deal of turnover, as corrections officers are acting in foster care supervisory positions, or former law-enforcement are acting directors of two counties in the state, not at all qualified to make clinical decisions but calling all the shots. These supervisors and directors don't even have to have a license, as the workers in the field do. These are the social workers, the caring individuals who are advocating their best for children, but bulldozed by those in authority who do not have the qualifications to be in their positions. And that causes a high-level of turnover, as corrections officers, undersheriffs, police officers, people who are not licensed in Masters level social work, or any Masters level mental health professional whatsoever are not clinically competent to make decisions of the field workers. And they have a completely different mindset, often a bully mindset rather than a Karen, listening, collaborating mindset. Social workers understand family systems, ecosystems, and the need for children to be able to know where they came from. There are about 40 states that do family placements better than the state that we live in. And it creates a great deal of trauma to children. And the directors and supervisors are not overseen well. Their jobs are to know the mandated laws, make sure the policies and procedures are followed, and yet some of the same individuals run amok, violating the mandated laws that social workers know are in their code of ethics, but are bullied into making decisions that are not in the best interest of families and children. Hence, the turnover is profound. It is not the fault of the dedicated social workers. It is the fault of legislature, and those who make the rules, allowing those are not qualified to make clinical decisions based on money rather than in the best interest of children and their families. And these mistakes are unacceptable. Because they are destroying children's lives, and these children grow up into adults who don't have secure attachments, join gangs, break the law, end up in prison, and it is the fault of our legislators. It is not the fault of the social workers. So, we all know that children services don't rank high on the list for our legislators, but when they are so broken that they have gone into hiding and no longer have a conscience it affects our society as a whole. This is why there need to be licensed Master's level mental health providers - from regional directors of children services, to directors of counties, to supervisors within the county agencies. Those in positions of authority and supervisory roles must have the education and the clinical skills, not just macro-level and business skills, We need to look out for the best interest of the children, who will become the adults in the next generation. So please do not blame the social workers. It is probably not a social worker who is calling the shots. In fact, they may being abused by their own supervisors and directors. So get the facts about what the regulations for The directors and supervisors of children's protective services and foster care services. Period. I am a palled at the individuals who breaks social workers, giving them a bad name, when it is not their fault. Because they are in the field advocating for the children and the families. Whilst of their bosses are on power trips send numbers people, not looking at each small individual child and the trauma the indoor at the hand of poor legislation.

Thank you.

This article puts the causation of these medical problems on the foster caretakers instead of the trauma or neglect the child experienced before entering the foster care system. Some of my foster children had never gone to a doctor before coming to live with me. It is inflammatory articles like this one that lead to the shortage of good foster homes.

I am a result of foster care and late adoption. I will agree that we begin early on to just try to make it to the next day. All the while thinking we will go home soon. My thought in all of this is these children in particular need to be told the truth of the situation at the level of understanding per the age. The not knowing where we are going and just having role play for counseling does not help these children. They become lost and when that happens they become indifferent and for the most part really don't care where they end up because they feel no one else cares either. I really don't believe that someone who hasn't been there can really relate or truly help these children with this particular issue. What we need are souls with a similar road traveled who have dug their way out and learned to see past today and forgive yesterday. To guide and show these kids and young adults that we are worth the effort every step of the way. I do what I can but I still have a hard time with permanent situations and social anxiety and I'm now in my mid 40s. Trust and truth go hand in hand. Im rambling so I'll end here..for the most part the other side has great intentions but if you haven't had that lost feeling as we do its hard to pull us out of it. Just my thought on why it's so hard mentally and physically on these young ones. Much respect, Marie

this video outlines the true warehousing of children during cps investigations this more than indicates that the cure is more dangerous than the disease.....https://youtu.be/OLov1493kVw

There were 3 extensive MIT studies in the 2000's that supported much of what you stated. Basically, the conclusion was that children that have been through the foster system are 3 times more likely to have a bad outcome, ie high school dropout, no college, incarceration, early pregnancy. 60 percent of youth that get into trafficking or prostitution are former foster children. The 'easy' conclusion is that children in foster care came in damaged, but that is not always the case. These children are ripped from family and thrown into homes with strangers. I am not saying that all foster care is bad, but it is not looked upon as the tragic solution that it is. And children that are 'adopted' don't fare much better. For the most part they miss their family and will have a wound that will never heal.

So why does the government pour it's resources into foster care and adoption? It's a good question and one that needs to be asked. I do have some ideas, however..

- The general public is clueless about the reality of the situation. They think children are removed for horrible 'abuse' when that's true less than 20 percent of the time.
- Joe public does not realize the damage foster care does to children, and/or the damage adoption does.
- The Church fawns all over the foster and adoption systems and does little to help parents in crisis that do need help working through hard times.
- Foster care and adoption are BIG BUSINE$$.
- Joe Public does not realize how corrupt the system has become.

Our nation's children have become a commodity for federal money. It's is the biggest scandal, bigger than the VA.

I was one of those foster children.
One home to another..new rules everytime.
Going to different schools, like a vagabond.
Being called into the principals office, social worker there, moving you to a new home, no explanation, your life in garbage bags.
Never seeing a doctor. Counselor. A dentist.
Being told by new fosters, that your pneumonia is a result of not praying enough.
Being pushed down stairs, by a foster mom, resulting in a two week stay at the hospital. No punishment for her. No one stood up for me. Having your stuff stolen by other kids. Never replaced. Being starved. Neglected. Knowing you are a paycheck.
The constant on guard. Looking behind your back. Its stressful. Never ever seeing your sisters or any family again. And all you long for is your grandma. Your aunt. Your sisters. Foster care was awful, and I suffered more in cps care, than at home.
It was safer on the streets than in States care .

Thank you Ryan for this important piece, judging by the quality of the responses here you have hit the nail on the head. But I can say having studied the topic for the last decade, you are only scratching the surface of a giant septic cesspit, where otherwise good people harm children in the belief they are "protecting" them. Despite their best intentions, the Outcomes for "Cared For" children are dismal, 80% have poor outcomes. When the State steps in and says you cant parent a child, we have to expect that the State will do a better job, and yet they fail spectacularly.

Rather than my usual long response, I will keep it brief. I feel here I would only be preaching to the converted which would be a waste of time. I wrote a book on the topic entitled "Secret Courts" in which I believe I have captured all the issues, I would like to send you a copy. I hope that your research continues on this issue, perhaps in reading my book you would find other subjects to pursue.

In this short video, the Director of Baltimore Children's Services nails it, its about satisfying the egos of those involved. Parents suspected of abuse or neglect are ranked lowed than pedophiles. By dehumanizing caregivers, it allows them to abuse both the child and the parents by placing the child with strangers. Having spent over 10 years helping families I can say that the vast majority of children don't need to be in "Care". If I had the resources I could prevent most children ending up in "Care". Molly McGrath Tierney sums it up better in a few minutes than I could in this post. Thanks again for this piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c15hy8dXSps

This article breaks my heart. I fought so hard to have my grandson. But the Courts and the State had a different agenda. My petition was ignored long enough for the foster parent to have in so they could petition the court to adopt my grandson. The the Judge denied my and allow them to adopt. I appealed and my case went all the way to the Supreme Court of Utah and they ruled that the Juvenile Court Judge Erred and reversed the adoption and ordered it to be redone. But by the time my case went through all of this too much time had passed. The new Judge determined even though I was a suitable home for my grandson he didnt want to take chance on my grandson not doing well with changing his life again. The Judge did "recommend and encourage" that my grandson be allowed to have a relationship with his biological family. Up to now that has never happened and the final ruling was in Nov 2014...

Hi, I started researching GAL and CPS performances approx. 18 months ago. I collected data from families, service providers and foster families and maybe took about 9 months off to focus on my kiddos. I had started my investigation again in June. As a former foster child who languished for 5 years in foster care, moved 21 times in 18 years, but still fortunate enough to chase higher education, I wanted to affect change in juvenile court and foster care reform. I also have the financing report for child welfare and that is cringe worthy as well. During my investigation, I learned my kiddos had been neglected while I was at work and they were with babysitters. Although my kids did not share with me what happened until a year later, I took them immediately to the ER, next day in therapy and then Project Harmony for specialized therapy. CPS did not investigate, did not ask for documentation, did not ask for phone records to illustrate my immediate response and made up a story that my kids did not have the proper babysitter/ separation mechanisms in place during the investigation. My kids were seized too. My kids now have this shared experience of being seized, zero communication and collaboration, but in foster care for 3.5 months with a dismissal coming due to lack of evidence to sustain a trial. Growing up, I did not have well check medical care, maybe dental care a handful of times at the age of 10, no mental healthcare. Now that my children are seized by the government, their mental healthcare, medical and no dental is neglected. Fortunately, I still have medical rights, so I can take my littles to their lifelong pediatrician when feeling ill. Over the past year, I had taken my children to our family therapist and their pediatrician for preventative, well checks & mental health care. It is nowhere the medical, dental & mental healthcare they were given in my care though and moreso their needs are neglected due to the power plays happening with social workers, kinship placements, bureaucratic tape. Juvenile Court & Foster Care Reform have been a very troubling and scary process, possibly causing some retaliation, but unconfirmed. The children at the center have zero voice, the GAL has only met one child once, but the other two have not met her. My research uncovered 8/10 cases of GAL's not meeting clients but collecting payments. CPS continues to seize many kids without interviews as reflected in my interviews. Although, our family has the education and resources to deal with what the State of Nebraska dishes to us, most live below poverty level, culture bias plays a role in removal too and a visitation worker indicated that parents she works with faced seizures of their kids for non-emergency removals. First families first makes sense with the proper services where there is transparency and collaboration to help not hurt. Preventative care makes better sense such as mental healthcare for people struggling to cope to fully address the foster care initiative to seize kids at such a high rate in Nebraska in my humble opinion.

After having 75 foster children go through my home and the adoption of seven(sibling group of 4 teens) I could certainly write a book. Also I was part of the foster/adoption life. It has been rewarding but tested our strength many times. Our 2 youngest have special needs, ages 11 & 13. Our oldest bio will soon be 50. Just keep a sense of humor!

I to had to rehabilitate children from egregious care administered from and by the cps system. attached please view the video tape...https://youtu.be/OLov1493kVw. These children were removed due to false allegations and returned some 17 months later the habits learned in foster care were very difficult if not impossible to remove from their character. The family of origin had some success and some failures to enable the youths to enter society prepared for the rigors of normal life. Although the abuse was eradicated fro their lives the learned behaviors threatened to through the entire family off the rails at many junctures. The system when confronted with their harmful actions sought to only remove themselves from any accountability, and offered the children no care in overcoming the imposed damages. Clearly child advocacy is something lost in this society, and families are left high and dry to pursue normal lives after an intervention by cps. With the incredulous amounts of money spent on behalf of these children [an average of 171,000.00 dollars per year per child] the entire child advocacy program in this country has been highjacked as a job fair, and the mission to serve children and families has been lost.

Gilmer Texas corrupt. Please help. Cps fraud!

I diligently advocated for foster care child placed in a home with a woman who had her foster care license revoked. The caseworker had to take a medical leave because of this case. What I uncovered brought all the forces of hell and law enforcement against me and now I am hiding for my life. So there are those who love, care, who speak the truth, who try to protect, and the My stand alone. Not one person will help me stay safe. It went all the way to the top of state, which is when the harassment became so intolerable it destroyed my health. It destroyed my livelihood. And I have had to move several states away to stay alive, to protect my clients, to protect my family. And I am all alone now. Not one person to protect me. I was trying to protect a vulnerable child and uncovered a huge scandal accidentally. Nobody will help me. But in my heart, I know that I did everything for that child I could. I even tried to protect our whole County, which ranks worst in the state for investigation and substantiation of child abuse and neglect. When I had the reason dropped in my lap and reported it to the proper person at the top of the state children's services and foster care, that's when all of hell came against me. I have lost everything trying to protect a terrified, failure to thrive, psychotic, traumatized child removed from her homeless grandmother. If only someone would fight for me as I tried to protect her. But nobody will. I've lost it all. but when I stand before God I will say I did the best that I could.

I need to add that I tried to file a child abuse and neglect report against the foster care supervisor for medical abuse and collect, the same supervisor of foster care who was trying to suppress information this child had been placed with a license-revoked foster care parent. The centralized intake for the state would not take a report against their own.

In our case, the three children that we have adopted through the foster care system are healthy and thriving. The trauma was caused by the biological parents ( drug exposure, neglect and emotional abuse) not by them being placed in foster care. The system as we call it rescued them from people who were harming them. They are now loved and cared for. This is true for so many other foster children that I know.

Arkansas is the worst state to try and adopt or be a foster parent. They want people to take parenting classes and then they say they don't have enough people that want to be a foster parent so you have to wait. I gave known people who where all the way approved and never got a child. There a r e few foster parent specialist that say they don;t want children and do not like children, They just took the job because it is a paycheck. The cost for the classes is high and I don't feel you can tech anyone to be a parent by reading a book. I feel that all they need to do is the criminal backgrounds checks and then place the child if they pass the background check. The system is broken and there are too many children aging out of foster without being adopted. I would like to adopt a White, Male Child between 3 and 10 but to got thur DHS is a waste of time because they are too slow and the longer it takes the more money they get from the Federal Government. The DHS is more interested in keeping the funds coming in then getting children adopted and off the waiting child list. There is NO way to teach a person to become a parent. Teenage girls are having babies every day and no one has taught them how to be a good parent, Parenting classes look good on paper but is not a goal that can be obtained in the real world!

Just under half children spend less than a year in foster care. Nearly 40% spend one to three years. Lengths of stay vary according to the circumstances of children and families, but they also differ because of choices local, state and federal agencies and communities make about how children will be cared for and the kinds of services and programs that will be available to help children return safely to their families. Take part in the drafting of the petition.
http://forum.helpwithsituation.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=12126

Hello - I am in need of assistance to get my story out and to get some assistance/advocacy as I came across this article referenced above. I am 1/2 hispanic and have been a single mother rebuilding her life from the effects of being married to an abusive man. My children were put into the foster care system after I hospitalized against my will due to my ex-husband's claims I was mental and delusional and needed treatment. He has been out of our lives for over 10 years due to a protection order I have had as he abused me horrifically and each child has a protection order from him until they are 18. He sexually molested my daughter at the time this was over 10 years ago. He was discharged out of the US Navy for domestic violence and CPS confirmed the child molestation/sexual abuse by him and protection order is necessary to protect the children from further abuse. I have struggled with PTSD and anxiety from the abuse, but have never been on medication, nor has this cause me to not be able to perform well at jobs and be a wonderful parent/mother to my children. I have a high performing job, maintain a security clearance, worked overseas with the US Department of Foreign Service, have undergone extensive background checks and psychological evaluations to maintain my jobs and have had to reveal all abuse, protection orders and everything from the past 15 years. I had just received a pay raise, my 12 year old daughter was getting straight A's through COVID, she had just been accepted into a private school and was waitlisted into another all-girls school. She had just made the A Lacrosse Team and was really excited about her future and goals. She was taken into care the day I was discharged and the lady she was staying with decided to become an emergency foster care option because she told CPS she could not afford to keep Isabel for an extended period of time. I was currently and am currently under the care of a therapist who diagnosed me with PTSD and anxiety due to my 16 year old son reaching out to his biological father while he was away at military boarding school and my ex-husband telling my son Aiden that I was delusional and made up the abuse and have mental illness and my son is not safe with me. My son had come home from break and had volunteered with the local church, volunteered with the local lacrosse program and earned money while score keeping for them. He had a blast over the long holiday break and was not happy to go back to his school where he was around foster kids, kids that were suspended/expelled, and troubled boys. My son went to this school at his request and we (Aiden and I) thought this school would provide him with success in obtaining a Naval Academy appointment. Instead after finding his biological father and other people who lied to him about me and about the past abuse, he became depressed and wanted to harm himself. I pulled him out of the school and tried to get him help. The school called CPS and that is how they became involved in our family. My son used to be a straight A student, I used to talk with him everyday, we were a very close family, people would ask him for advice with their son's and ask me for advice regarding how I managed to work, put myself through school, volunteer at church/volunteer with my children's sport, and still be a super mom. We were an ideal family and my goal was to overcome the statistics were a single mother who was abused could go from TANF/Food Stamps to obtaining a job where I can afford to pay 1/2 my son's tuition and put my daughter in a private school, rebuild my credit, get a job with the government, and have a goal of buying a condo/home for my children. That was my plan for 2021. Now my children are in the Foster Care system where my son is running away from the home, refuses to see me/talk with me/will not have anything to do with the support he had previously to the county getting involved as the county has contacted and involved extended family who have a history of molestation and abuse (my sister was molested by my brother her whole life, my mother was abused by her uncle, my father abused his sisters his whole adolescent life with his uncle and new my sister was being abused, but refused to do anything about it and as an adult stated they did not want to destroy his reputation/nor upset his relationship with them) and my own family did not support me going back to school, leaving my ex-husband, nor getting out of the toxic family environment. I have not had anything to do with my extended family in over 10 years as they refused to support me through my past situations. Now foster care has brought these people into the children's lives and is forcing me to deal with them. My son has failed 2 courses he needs to graduate, he is having issues in the foster home - the county moved him another county and my daughter's family moved 1 hour away into another county. My daughter's family has told her that their daughter needs her and she would not have any friends if it was not for my daughter living with them. My daughter and this girl are the same age, they knew each other from lacrosse and I thought this mother I could trust, but when she found out Isabel had extended family she turned on me and has been a proponent in Isabel having contact with the extended family. This family has never been vetted by the foster care system, do not have training, in fact the reason why I thought I could trust this mother to take care of my daughter is she explained to me how she lost her eldest daughter to her abusive first husband and she told me how horrible the CPS system is in Fairfax County and she shared with me her horrors of what happened to her eldest daughter when her daughter went into treatment and CPS was involved in her daughter's life. My daughter was only spending the night at her house for one night - I was in touch with her the whole time I was in the hospital and was in touch with my daughter. I have not been able to talk with my daughter about the abuse, she has no idea why I estranged myself and Aiden and her from my family due to the molestation and abuse. The foster care case worker told me even with the protection orders I have and the CPS report that confirms the molestation that it is everyone's perception of what occurred and even with providing them with ample documentation of how the children have thrived without have contact with these people they do not care. Foster care is traumatizing my family - my daughter used to tell me I was her super hero for going back to school, supporting us, practicing with them for all of their sports, going to every game, practice, supporting them in their music, homework, playing with them, providing them with a great life - even my son used to praise me and thank me for everything I did for them. Now my daughter is questioning me, questioning everything we had built together - she shared with me that at the last visit that they had the 23 year old step-son visiting for the summer and a 12 year old girl - she stated this older boy bullies her when it comes to food, he takes her food when she walks away from it and she was scared to take back the crawfish I bought for her as she told me he would eat it when she was not around. The foster care case worker stated at the last parent partnership meeting Isabel was going to camps during the summer, Isabel told me that the family's daughter went to a camp and the family brought these other step-children into the house for her to have company with. My daughter told me no one takes her to the skatepark or will take her where she wants to go, that she only is able to go wherever the 19 year old son wants to take them as the mother and father both work. My daughter brought up attending the private school she worked so hard to get accepted into and was so proud to attend two weeks ago. I was told by the foster care case worker that she would not be able to attend any private schools as the foster care system does not support or work with these schools. When I brought up all of the issues, I have had with the foster care case worker, she told me that they are there to help support the family and that the foster care experience is traumatic to the family and that is why they have a job. There was no reason for my children to be in the system, they are destroying my children's and our family's life. I have included the CPS report that states there no finding of abuse or neglect. I have included the protection orders and CPS report from my ex. I had to change our names to provide protection of further abuse. Also, CPS here in VA broke the law of the Address Confidentiality Program is administered by the Office of the Attorney General pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 2.2- 515.2 which I am a participant of by giving my ex-husband my full address/telephone number on the court paperwork. When I brought this up to the investigator who filed the order while I was hospitalized he told me it did not matter and why did I need it if I changed our names. I called the attorney general's office and asked for assistance with this and they told me they violated the code. The CPS office and Foster Care Program and not looking out the for the family, they stated the goal is reunification of the family. But they are destroying the trust we had in each other and destroying the family relationship we had. Will you please provide some assistance or refer me to someone that can cover this story or help wit this. I need this story to get out desperately. I have ample character reference, job performance evaluations, used to work as a Title 1 school tutor and worked with Family's in Communities as a mentor, currently volunteer with the Young Marine unit in DC and used to volunteer with the US Naval Sea Cadet Unit. Volunteered in my children's classrooms.

Thank you!
Kristy Smith