WHO SUFFERS FROM THE
WEAKNESSES IN THE SYSTEM?
AGING OUT of the SYSTEM
"Aging out" of the system refers to children who stay in the foster care system until they reach 18 or 21 years of age. The foster system is notorious for lending inadequate support to the kids who age out. These children are typically unprepared for what society considers an acceptable or successful life. Many of the individuals who age out of the system are unemployed, have a criminal record, and most do not graduate high school. They are expected to be fully independent at 18 or 21, which is rarely even achievable for young adults who are not products of the foster system.
Nearly all relationships within the system are temporary, which leaves children without a system of support. Laws have been passed with the intention of protecting foster children from homelessness or welfare dependency, but they have proven ineffective.
TEENS in GROUP HOMES
The foster system was built to support young children in abusive or neglectful homes and to provide them a temporary living arrangement. However, teens entering the foster system usually end up staying there long-term. By default, teens are placed into group homes, because not many foster parents are willing to take them on. Foster families usually assume teens will be more difficult to care for.
In many group homes, education is not a priority. While those who work in the foster system focus on child placement, mental health, paperwork, and many other issues that need attention, education tends to fall by the wayside. No one is there to tell the kids to do their homework, to help them with the college process, or to simply model the pursuit of learning. Since the children are not in an environment that supports their education, they assume it is not a worthy pursuit. There is also a prevalent attitude that the "troubled youth" in foster care are not attentive enough to value an education and their future is already laid out for them.
FUN FACT
The public spends around $50,000/yr to keep each teen in the foster system, which is more money than it would require to send them to a private school.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Some agencies make an effort to place children with foster families of similar cultures or backgrounds. Others do not believe that it should be a factor when considering where to place a child.
On one hand, cultural diversity within a home can help the family learn different cultures and help foster a community of respect.
On the other hand, a child placed in a different culture may feel a loss of identity. They may feel as if they have lost their language, their food, their religion, etc. They also might face discrimination whilst in a home of different beliefs.
For example, one foster child asked her agency to place her in a home that was welcoming to all sexual orientations. She had recently come out to her biological parents and was consequently kicked out. Unfortunately, she was placed in a home that did not appreciate her identity.
1
Krebs, Betsy, and Paul Pitcoff. Beyond The Foster Care System: The Future for Teens. Rutgers University Press, 2006. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5hj66j. Accessed 14 Feb. 2020.
2
Dupere, Katie. “6 Problems with the Foster Care System -- and What You Can Do to Help.” Mashable, 23 Aug. 2018, mashable.com/article/foster-care-problems/.