Running Head: THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM

The Negative Impacts of Children Placed in the Foster Care System

Ashley M. Farinha

Global Connections

Instructor: Gregory Falls

Due Date: December 17th

Running Head: THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM
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Abstract

This research paper critically examines the foster care system and its impact on the

social, psychological and physical growth of abused and neglected children. While reviewing

the history of how the foster care system was introduced, the focus of this work will be on how

the modern day foster care system is important to have, but still defective in today’s society.
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Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Table of Contents 2

Introduction 3

Limitations 4

Literature Review 5

Discussion 9

Conclusion 15

References 16

Appendix A 20
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Introduction

There are around 430,000 children in foster care, throughout the United States. Each

year, whether for long or short term, nearly 300,000 children enter the system, with only around

70,000 leaving it. In addition, teenangers can ¨age out¨ of the system by reaching the adult age,

so each year, more than 20,000 teenangers get released from foster care, with no further support

from the state they live in. (K.L Lerner et al.´s 2006).

Research shows that the issue of foster care is connected not only to abuse and neglect,

but to several other social problems as well as in the families of origin. Children leave their

original homes to get away from these circumstances, however, with issues within the foster care

system, they are more prone to continue to be under them, or even worse. These issues include;

poverty, substance abuse, a lack of training, and a lack of resources that these new families have

when they foster a child.

Even though having a foster care system is needed in today's society, there is consensus

in the literature that foster care placement can have negative impacts on children, which affects

their social, psychological, and physical development.

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Limitations

There were a few limitations when researching about the topic of foster care. A majority

of the sources were research papers instead of general, or detailed information. Each source had

repetitive information that made it a little difficult to find anything new and interesting. Also, the

author´s research question consists of three components, but more information was found about

one of them, compared to the other two. For example, when researching about the negative

impacts that foster care can have on a child, more about mental health was found over the social

or physical aspects. While researching, there were also behavioral aspects that were found, but

the author did not focus upon this. In addition, there were other aspects to what children go

through in the foster care system, like aging out, along with how the child's race has to do with

being mistreated. However, the author chose to mainly discuss why the foster care system is

broken today and how that negatively impacts different components to a child's life.
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Literature Review

There are many resources that have evidence on how children being in the foster care system can

have negative impacts on their social, psychological, and physical health. Some of the articles

also provide definitions of foster care and some statistics on the numbers of children being

affected. In addition, there are even articles that discuss the issues on placement before, during,

and after being in the system.

Defining Foster Care

According to ​¨Foster Care¨ Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: In History and

Society ​(Curran and Fass, 2004, Vol. 2, pp. 363-365), ​foster care refers to the informal and

formal custodial care of children outside of their own biological family home when their parents

are unable, unwilling, or prohibited from caring for them. It goes on to discuss the idea that

foster care was originally created to provide a place for children, who are poor or parentless, to

live (Curran and Fass, 2004).

The History Behind Foster Care

Around the middle to late 1800s, the number of children without a home tripled in size

(Curran and Fass, 2004). Before arranging any type of foster care system, there were movements

that were created to reduce the need for out-of-home-care. For example, the Child-Saving

Movement focused on providing a variety of child welfare initiatives, such as; mothers´

pensions, day nurseries, and public health reforms (Curran and Fass, 2004). In addition,

according to ​¨Putting Families First¨ Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources ​(K.L Lerner,

B.W Lerner, and A.W Lerner, 2006), the 1562, English Poor Law, required that all orphaned

children work as unpaid apprentices until they reached the age of majority. This law was
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imported when the British settled portions of North America, and in the 1800s, in Britain and the

United States, some children went to "pauper houses." Orphaned, abandoned, or in some cases,

the children of parents imprisoned in the poor house for debt, these children were raised by the

state or private charities, turned out into the labor force to work in grueling conditions while their

wages went to the pauper house, and faced cruelty and hardship as a result of the absence of

protective parents. Also, whether or not the children lived with their parents, they were not

guaranteed a life without abuse. Even if a child did have a parent, depending on the kind of

parent they were living with, could leave the child with a variety of obstacles and dangers. For

example, in order to support themselves, girls often became prostitutes and boys often became

robbers (K.L Lerner et al.´s 2006). Due to observing events such as these, seeing thousands of

poor parentless children sleeping in the streets, digging through trash for food, and selling their

bodies for money, a man named Charles Loring Brace, organized the first foster care system in

the United States (K.L Lerner et al.´s 2006). However, just because foster care was put into place

to help children, did not mean the system was anywhere near ideal. It became evident, from the

legislation that was passed, that a lot of child abuse was occurring throughout foster homes,

which caused a dramatic increase in the foster care population (Curran and Fass, 2004).

Social Risks of Children in Foster Care

It is indicated that there are traumatizing experiences within the foster care system that

causes children to have a negative relationship with their family members, siblings, and school

activities (Hazen, 2014). Also, it is proven that children in foster care tend to not participate in

extracurricular activities, opposed to those children not in the foster care system (Hazen, 2014).

Children that have siblings and are put into foster care, sometimes, if not often, are separated
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from each other. This causes them to have insecure attachment, which is not being able to

connect with other people like their caregivers, peers, and teachers (Hazen, 2014).

Psychological Risks of Children in Foster Care

Neglect is a big issue that causes a negative impact on children's mental health.

Developmental Issues for Young Children in Foster Care, 2000 ​states, neglect has very profound

and long-lasting consequences on all aspects of child development​—​poor attachment formation,

under stimulation, development delay, poor physical development, and antisocial behavior.

A child's brain development is affected when they are in an environment that has limited direct

support and communication because it causes their communication skills to become impaired

(Developmental Issues for Young Children in Foster Care, 2000). In addition, mental abuse can

cause a stress response in a child's brain, which causes them to have negative reaction. For

example, once a child reaches a stage of chronic stress, they tend to go from crying in a tough

situation, to throwing temper tantrums, aggressive behavior, or inattention and withdrawal

(Developmental Issues for Young Children in Foster Care, 2000). Also, according to​ Long-term

consequences of child abuse and neglect (​ Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013), the

immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation fear, and an inability to trust—can

translate into lifelong psychological consequences, including low self-esteem, depression, and

relationship difficulties.

Physical Risks for Children in Foster Care

Children in the foster care system are far more prone to physical health consequences.

According to ​Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect ​(Child Welfare Information

Gateway, 2013), the immediate physical effects of abuse or neglect can be relatively minor
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(bruises or cuts) or severe (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). In some cases, the

physical effects are temporary; however, the pain and suffering they cause a child should not be

discounted. When children are abused and neglected, it creates a terrifying cycle in which it can

keep reoccurring. This is because they can grow up to treat their future children this negative

way since that was what had been placed upon them (Child Welfare Information Gateway,

2013). Also, ​Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect (​ Child Welfare Information

Gateway, 2013) states that, adults who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood are more

likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, lung and liver disease, hypertension, diabetes,

asthma, and obesity.

Modern Foster Care

Due to a large growth in the foster care system over the years, it has caused there to be a

¨foster care drift.¨ This means that children, more than likely, experience multiple foster home

placements (Curran and Fass, 2004). In the late 1900s, the Child Welfare Act was passed to

emphasize the idea of family preservation and reunification programs because there were too

many children in the system. The Child Welfare Act was able to decline the foster care

population, however, it was only temporary. The number of children in foster care grew from

280,000 to 460,000 (Curran and Fass, 2004). There were multiple reasons as to why the numbers

grew instead of continuing to decrease. For instance, research shows that social work programs

rarely did anything to prevent child removal, and there were publicized child abuse cases that

allowed children to either remain or return to their homes in which were abusive (Curran and

Fass, 2004). Eventually, the Adoption and Safe Families Act was created not only to help reduce
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the foster care population, but to stress the idea of adoption over family preservation efforts

(Curran and Fass, 2004).

Discussion

Foster care was a concept that was put into place decades ago, due to a rising number of

children without homes. According to ​¨Foster Care¨ Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood:

In History and Society ​(Curran and Fass, 2004, Vol. 2, pp. 363-365), ​foster care refers to the

informal and formal custodial care of children outside of their own biological family home when

their parents are unable, unwilling, or prohibited from caring for them. ​Children that were alone

and dependent upon a caretaker became known as orphans. They started off being taken care of

by widowed adults, whom were paid by Christian churches, in which they attended (Foster Care:

Background and History). Shortly after, the creation of almshouses started in England, during

colonial times. According to ​What is an Almshouse? - Definition & History,​ an almshouse was a

place where those who could not care for themselves, and had no family to care for them, were

collectively fed and sheltered. In one sense they were humanitarian. In another, they treated

people as unwanted and segregated them from perceived ''normal'' populations. In addition,

during this time frame, England also created Poor Laws. These laws were put into place in order

to provide state-based charity for those in need. Parish overseers provided relief for the aged,

sick, infant poor, and work for the able-bodied in workhouses (Poor Law, 2018). However, these

laws were poorly defined and poorly managed. In order to even receive any aid, people had to

prove that they were “worthy” of it, otherwise, they were left on their own (What is an

Almshouse? - Definition & History). Eventually, English Poor Laws were imported to the United
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States. In terms of orphans, these laws allowed for the placement of poor children into

indentured service until they became adults. This was an improvement over the almshouses

because there, children were exposed to unsanitary conditions and abusive caretakers. This

whole idea is what marked the beginning of placing children into foster homes (Foster Care:

Background and History).

In the mid 1800s, a minister named Charles Loring Brace, founded the Children’s Aid

Society in New York City. Also, after observing many children out on the streets, he started the

Orphan Train Movement. This movement helped over 150,000 orphaned children in New York

City move across the country by train, mainly emigrating to the Midwest. Once they were

relocated, it was evident that some children were treated with love and respect, while others were

treated as slaves, were abused, and were often required to work for long hours (Foster Care:

Background and History). For example, according to ​Foster Care: Background and History​,

there was a case in 1807 about an eight year old orphan named Mary Ellen Wilson. She ​received

daily whippings and beatings at her foster home. There was no organization to protect abused

children, so the attorneys for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

(ASPCA) took on her case. Her attorneys argued that laws protecting animals from abuse should

not be greater than laws protecting children. Mary Ellen Wilson’s case went to court and the

foster mom was convicted of assault and battery and given a one-year sentence. Due to cases like

this, around the early 1900s, the government started to do state inspections for foster homes.

They kept records to help increase accountability and help to consider children’s needs when

placing them in homes. Also, foster parents began to receive pay from the government to be a

part of a team effort to help provide for these dependent children. In addition, services were
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provided to birth families to enable children to reunify or return home (Foster Care: Background

and History).

In today’s society, there are several different types of foster care: single foster family,

group home, and kinship care. The single foster care family home is the most recognized. I

consists of one or more parents who cares for up to six foster children in their home along with

their own biological or adopted children. The group home, consists of six or more children.

According to ​Types of Foster Care: Group Homes and Kinship Care,​ Group homes were

initially problematic in the foster care system due to a shortage of experienced operators and a

lack of industry regulation. Many group homes were run by competent social workers or those in

religious communities who, despite a lack of formal training, were instrumental in positively

impacting the children in their care. However, in other group homes, children were physically

and sexually abused or neglected. They were also forced to participate in the religious beliefs of

their caretakers. Due to little monitoring by the government, there was a lot of untrained workers

who tried behavioral modification techniques that were cruel and inhumane. It was also possible

for group homes to cut back on providing food, clothing, and education, so that they can make a

profit for themselves with the money that they were receiving. Also, even though they are now

subject to a number of federal regulations, this does not stop some group homes from continuing

to abuse children (Types of Foster care: Group Homes and Kinship Care). The last type of foster

care is known as kinship care. According to​ Types of Foster Care: Group Homes and Kinship

Care​, Kinship care is the full-time care of foster children by relatives, godparents, stepparents, or

any adult who has a similar bond with a child. The expansion of kinship foster care is, perhaps,

the most dramatic shift to occur in child welfare practice over the past two decades. Within this,
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there are two different kinds of kinship care; formal and informal. Formal kinship care is for the

children that must be separated from their parents because of abuse, neglect, dependency,

abandonment, or other special medical circumstances. They are then parented by their relatives

and placed into the legal custody of the child welfare agency, and their relatives provide full-time

care. In contrast, informal kinship care is used when a family decides that a child will live with

relatives, besides his or her mom or dad. In this instance, the parent still has legal custody of the

child, so the relatives do not need to be approved, licensed, or supervised by the state (Types of

Foster Care: Group Homes and Kinship Care).

Besides the abuse or neglect that comes from a child’s family of origin, which causes

​ ore
them to enter foster care, there are other social issues like substance abuse. ​According to M

US Kids in Foster Care; Parental Drug Abuse a Factor, 2017,​ ​The peak was 524,000 children in

foster care in 2002. The number dropped steadily to about 397,000 in 2012 before rising again as

the opioid epidemic and other forms of drug abuse began to worsen across the U.S. This is

evident that substance abuse became a major factor that plays a role in the numbers of children in

foster care. Furthermore, according to the Health and Human services, “substance abuse was a

factor in thirty-four percent of the 2016 cases in which a child was removed from home, up from

thirty-two percent a year earlier. About 92,000 children were removed from home because at

least one parent had a drug abuse issue” (​More US Kids in Foster Care; Parental Drug Abuse a

Factor, 2017). For example, states like, Indiana, Georgia, and West Virginia, had the biggest

one-year increases in their foster care population. Indiana reported serving 29,315 children in its

foster care system in fiscal 2016, up from 24,935 in 2015 (More US Kids in Foster Care;

Parental Drug Abuse a Factor, 2017).

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In addition, studies have shown that minorities play a key role in the general numbers of

children in foster care. According to ​Foster Care for Minority Children - University of Dayton​,

despite the fact that there is no difference in the actual incidence of child abuse or neglect among

different ethnic groups, a combination of socioeconomic factors and various state and federal

policies as well as disparate reporting and service delivery increase the likelihood that poor and

minority children will enter the foster care system. Some examples are that; African-American

children in foster care may be separated from their families longer than white children, from

incarcerated parents because there are racial differences in sentencing patterns. Along with that,

there are racially discriminatory distributions of social services which may also contribute to the

disproportionate number of African-American children in foster care. In addition, income

differentials still exists between races. African-Americans are more likely to be poor than whites,

so they have a lack of resources in order to provide child care, which could also contribute to the

disproportionate number of African-American children in foster care (​Foster Care for Minority

Children - University of Dayton).

No matter what obstacles children go through to end up in foster care, they are far more

at risk for having problems with their social, psychological, and physical development, than

those not involved in the foster care system. For instance, it is evident that children in the system

have a hard time connecting with other people due to having traumatizing experiences in their

foster homes. These traumatizing experiences include; being separated from their siblings when

entering the system and having negative relationships with their families in the home in which

they are staying in (Hazen, 2014). Also, studies have shown that a child's brain development is

affected when they are in an environment that has limited direct support and communication
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14
because it causes their communication skills to become impaired (Developmental Issues for

Young Children in Foster Care, 2000). Children that are in foster care are not always in one

stable foster home, so it makes sense that their brain development would negatively be affected.

According to​ Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect ​(Child Welfare Information

Gateway, 2013), the immediate emotional effects of abuse and neglect—isolation fear, and an

inability to trust—can translate into lifelong psychological consequences, including low

self-esteem, depression, and relationship difficulties. In addition, there are still foster homes in

today’s society in which children are abused, not only mentally, but physically. According to

Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect (​ Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2013),

the immediate physical effects of abuse or neglect can be relatively minor (bruises or cuts) or

severe (broken bones, hemorrhage, or even death). This causes huge physical health

consequences that can seriously affect the child’s life in the present and the future. Also

according to, ​Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect ​(Child Welfare Information

Gateway, 2013), adults who experienced abuse or neglect during childhood are more likely to

suffer from cardiovascular disease, lung and liver disease, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and

obesity.
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Conclusion

The creation of a foster care system was not a terrible idea, however the system has

always been defective since it was made. When foster care was first introduced, there were no

strict rules or laws put into place in order to have a stable system. As the years went by, the

government was slowly but surely altering the system to make it more efficient and safe for

children. However, there still remains issues within the system that cause it to not be ideal. There

are around 400,000 children in foster care, so it is difficult to find a good home for all of them.

Due to things like, a lack of training, substance abuse, and poverty, families that foster children,

have the potential to mistreat them either intentionally or unintentionally. Also, sometimes, Child

Protective Services move children around to different foster homes due to families not taking

proper care of them. With a child being abused or neglected from their family of origin and being

at risk of that in foster homes, it can negatively affect their development. There are different

aspects in which their development can be negatively impacted. When Child Protective Services

separate these children from their siblings and put them in a foster home, it causes them to be

socially disconnected with others. They can also become socially disconnected with any other
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traumatizing experiences, like having problems with their foster siblings or foster parents. In

addition, with being around a lot of other children in a foster home, they are not getting the

attention that they need. Children are still developing, so if their foster parents are not teaching

them certain skills or helping them get an education, their brains will not develop correctly.

Lastly, with physical abuse, it can permanently damage a child's body, which can affect them in

the present or put them at risk for health concerns in their future.

References

Department of Applied Psychology. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2018, from

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2014/fall/hazen

Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption and Dependent Care. (2000, November 01).

Developmental Issues for Young Children in Foster Care. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/106/5/1145

Foster care children at much greater risk of physical, mental health problems. (2018,

April 23). Retrieved October 20, 2018, from

https://news.uci.edu/2016/10/17/foster-care-children-at-much-greater-risk-of-physical-mental-he

alth-problems/
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Mbengue, N. W. (n.d.). The Social and Emotional Well-Being of Children in Foster Care.

Retrieved October 21, 2018, from

http://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/cyf/Social_Emotional_WellBeing_Newsletter.pdf

The Foster Care System and Its Victims Part 3. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2018, from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-psychology/201201/the-foster-care-system-a

nd-its-victims-part-3

CURRAN, LAURA. "Foster Care." ​Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood: In History

and Society​, edited by Paula S. Fass, vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2004, pp. 363-365.

Global Issues in Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3402800174/GIC?u=vbcps&sid=GIC&xid=92addd98.

Accessed 13 Nov. 2018.

"Putting Families First." ​Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources​, edited by K. Lee

Lerner, et al., Gale, 2006, pp. 138-141. ​Global Issues in Context​,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX2688300064/GIC?u=vbcps&sid=GIC&xid=691e0bf5.

Accessed 13 Nov. 2018.

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Long-term consequences of child abuse and

neglect. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
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https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/long_term_consequences.pdf#page=3&view=Physical%

20Health%20Consequences

Accessed 13 Nov. 2018.

The Foster Care System and Its Victims Part 3. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2018,

from

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/somatic-psychology/201201/the-foster-care-system-a

nd-its-victims-part-3

Foster Care. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2018, from

https://www.childrensrights.org/newsroom/fact-sheets/foster-care/

Foster Care: Background and History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2018, from

https://family.findlaw.com/foster-care/foster-care-background-and-history.html

Britannica, T. E. (2018, September 27). Poor Law. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from

https://www.britannica.com/event/Poor-Law

Britannica, T. E. (2013, October 09). Almshouse. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/almshouse
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What is an Almshouse? - Definition & History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2018,

from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-an-almshouse-definition-history.html

Types of Foster Care: Group Homes and Kinship Care. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29,

2018, from

https://family.findlaw.com/foster-care/types-of-foster-care-group-homes-and-kinship-care.html

Race and Foster Care. (2007, May). Retrieved November 29, 2018, from

https://fosteringperspectives.org/fp_v11n2/hill.htm

Lery, B., Wulczyn, F., & Haight, J. (2007). Deconstructing Racial Disproportionality in

Child Welfare. ​PsycEXTRA Dataset,1​ -32. doi:10.1037/e522532014-198

More US Kids in Foster Care; Parental Drug Abuse a Factor. (2017, November 30).

Retrieved November 29, 2018, from

https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2017-11-30/more-us-kids-in-foster-care-parental-drug

-abuse-a-factor

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Appendix A: Interview With Kellie Evans

As Executive Vice President of the UP Center, how are you involved with foster care?

¨I am the administrator, so i supervise the director of the program¨ ​(K.Evans, personal

communication, December 14, 2018).

What are some problems you see with the foster care system currently? Would you say that

it is broken?

¨It is very broken. Virginia has some of the lowest outcomes for fostering children in the

country¨ ​(K.Evans, personal communication, December 14, 2018).

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How are you able to be around some of the kinds of things that you have to deal with on a

daily basis? Do you just turn your feelings off?

¨I think for me, I have been doing it a long time and it is my passion because these kids are

misunderstood and mistreated. A lot of people either enter the field and quit or they stay for a

long time, there is no inbetween. Children in foster care are the most vulnerable people in our

country¨ ​(K.Evans, personal communication, December 14, 2018).

In my research, I found several studies that look at the long term effects of abuse &

neglect. What do you think are the effects of foster care on children, separate from abuse

& neglect?

¨There is not enough homes available, so a lot of children are placed in homes where it is not a

good fit for them. Their needs are not met and they get treated inadequately¨ ​(K.Evans, personal

communication, December 14, 2018).

Do you think a reason why children are neglected from their foster parents is because they

only foster to get paid?

¨I never got the impression that parents were doing it for the money because they do not get paid

a lot for it and it is also a lot of work. I am not saying there are not some people in it for the

money, but it would not make sense because they have to go through background checks and

training just to be a foster parent¨ ​(K.Evans, personal communication, December 14, 2018).
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What policy recommendations would you have in order to alter the current foster care

system? Do you think anything needs to be changed?

¨Yes, there are so many, I do not even know what to start with. I guess I can start by saying that

there is one thing that virginia does poorly. When a child gets into foster care, we do not do a

good job at looking at kinship. meaning we do not put a lot of time into finding someone to take

care of the child that is not a stranger. Strangers tend to be more oppressive. Social services are

locally administered, so local authorities can pick and choose policy and that is part of the

problem. For the most part, children are just thrown into a strangers home. They do this because

it is easier to put them into a random home, over spending time and working towards finding

family members. The federal government does recognize that kinship care is important to try to

keep children in foster care down, and how they want kinship to be the first choice not the last

choice. Kinship can include a coach, neighbor, or relative through marriage¨ ​(K.Evans, personal

communication, December 14, 2018).