NCJ Number
216666
Journal
Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 2/3 Dated: 2006 Pages: 97-112
Date Published
2006
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Based on a case study in which the authors (as foster care executives) were involved, this article discusses the value of having parents cooperate with agency executives in decisionmaking about a child's foster care before and during placement in a foster home.
Abstract
Effective outcomes for children whose parents are undergoing hard times that affect their children's care depends on parents and child protection agencies ending their adversarial positions and agreeing to examine how they behave with each other. Parent leaders can help agencies succeed with their two primary goals: child safety and timely discharges. For the authors as foster care executives, this insight emerged when a young Latina mother confronted them with the complaint that the foster care system should stop taking children from mothers who are ill, abused, unemployed, and in the country illegally. The woman was a community organizer who strongly believed that the foster care system was racist and a threat to minority families living in disadvantaged conditions. In New York City where the authors work, most of the children in foster care are children of color. Their mothers have begun to organize. These mothers are redirecting their depression and rage by forming or joining parent organizations. The authors took action to link representatives of these parent groups with agency executives. As a result, some supervisors responded to parent demands that foster children have more regular, private time with their parents and siblings. Many agency leaders supported the parent partnership; however, several influential, conservative, and less experienced trustees argued that giving more voice to troubled clients and dissident employees was financially and legally risky. For this and other reasons, the authors left to work for another agency that supports efforts to increase communication with parents, particularly regarding how race impacts client services. 29 references