Foster Care: A Positive Alternative
...from non-factual stories or much altered stories about the system. Foster care has had a bad name placed on its shoulders because the majority of the stories told are the ones that went awry; when in all reality there are very few cases of foster care in which the children are in a detrimental environment. There are problems that the foster care parents, biological parents, and even the children must overcome together. The time, money, dedication, and heart it takes to become a responsible and respected foster parent is immense. Because of these reasons there is a lack of adults willing to take on the challenge. Foster parents may be married, a foster parent may not be married, but either way, foster parents come with big hearts ready to ameliorate the child's life in any way possible.
Despite what horror stories may be floating around about the foster care system and foster parents, it is a step and tool that is life changing not only for the child, but the biological family and foster family as well. Yes, there are flaws with the system and there are those parents that slipped through the cracks; but more times than not, foster care is a positive resource for children in unhealthy situations.
There are two main reasons why children are placed in the foster care system. Neglect and abuse by the biological parents to the child or themselves and drug abuse serve as the leading causes (Woodward 1). Children of drug addicts or alcoholics are at high risk of abuse so they are often placed in the system. A biological parent may not be fit to properly care for the child or children. The parents may willingly give their consent for the child to be taken into custody or a court may order the parents' rights to be terminated if necessary. If any case should arise in which the child needs to be removed right away, the parents have no choice but to render the child or...
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