When you foster, you choose to take on a child who has likely been through a traumatic event. While there are plenty of reasons children are placed in foster care, none are positive, and it’s important to understand what the child has been through in order to care for them properly.
To know more about foster children and the fostering system in general, here are seven of the most common reasons children are put into foster care.
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Table of Contents
Domestic Abuse
Many foster kids are in the system because they have experienced domestic abuse. Unfortunately, it is common and can leave a child scared, anxious, and angry.
Domestic abuse is a very serious situation, and it can be difficult to help children who have been through it, which is why reputable agencies like Fostering People provide foster parents with plenty of training and a generous allowance for support.
Good fostering agencies also ensure foster parents have a strong support system throughout the process, which is vital to ensure both parents and children get the most out of the mutual experience and that it remains a positive one overall.
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Child Neglect
Child neglect is a form of abuse and involves a child’s needs not being met. That might mean not getting fed properly, not being bathed, or getting left alone when they are too young.
Neglect can cause emotional problems in children just as much as physical ones, which is why it’s an issue that’s taken very seriously, with neglected kids often being placed into foster care when their parents/guardians do not provide proper care.
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The Death of a Parent
When the parent of a child passes away, the child will often be taken in by other family members. However, this isn’t always possible, and when it’s not, they may end up in foster care, which uproots them and shakes up their life immeasurably.
It’s an unfortunate circumstance that can leave the child confused, lonely, and extremely upset. Still, a caring, long-term foster family can help them through that distressing time in their life, ensuring they are looked after and emotionally supported.
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Addiction
If a parent has an alcohol or drug addiction, they may be unable to look after the child, resulting in the child being in the foster care system. They might be in the system for a short period if the parent is in recovery, or they may stay in foster care until adulthood. Every case is different, with no two really being the same.
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Illness
Sometimes, a parent becomes ill, so much so that they can no longer look after their child. While the best situation might be for another family member to take care of the child during the parent’s illness, that isn’t always possible, meaning the child may end up in foster care.
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Incarceration of a Parent
Another reason a child may end up in foster care is that their parent is incarcerated. Like many other reasons, this can leave the child feeling lost and confused. Depending on the parent’s sentence, the child may be in foster care for a short period of time or until they reach adulthood.
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Voluntary Reasons
Some children end up in foster care because of voluntary reasons. If a parent decides they cannot or don’t want to look after their child, often they will end up in foster care, which might be temporary or long-term.
Final Thoughts
Children are put into foster care for many reasons. One child’s experience can be vastly different from another’s – but one thing they all have in common is that they need a safe, caring home and a foster family for a certain length of time, which can make all the difference between the child enjoying a great start in life, or becoming another statistic of abuse, homelessness, and crime.
This is why foster parents are crucial to the journey of vulnerable children, ensuring a safe, loving atmosphere in which they are cared for, allowing them to flourish and grow into the mature, well-rounded adults they are destined to be – all they need is the right start and environment to do so, which foster carers so selflessly provide.
