I just want to quit!!
Even if those exact words have never
escaped our lips, many foster parents have certainly thought them! And even if we haven’t thought about giving
up our foster license altogether, we have certainly thought about giving up on
a certain foster child in our home.
Of course
we know that children need the love and nurture of our families. Their health and development and very future
depends on the stability of their placement with us. We’ve read the statistics and seen the study
results, confirming that moving children multiple times throughout their foster
care journey can have serious long-term impact on their future success. (1)
We hate
disruptions. (2) It’s tragic when children
are uprooted. Forced to transition to
new communities. Adapt to new
schools. They lose touch with relatives,
and tragically, are separated from siblings.
They learn that it’s normal to say goodbye.
But what
can we do when we want to quit? When our
endurance is depleted and we don’t feel like we can take another step?
Or more
specifically, the question might be asked, what can Child Welfare Professionals
do? (3) This is the question asked at
countless staff meetings and during federally-funded research projects and
through state-wide initiatives. You have devoted your careers to serving these
children, and it’s heartbreaking when their placements are disrupted again and
again and again. How can you improve
placement security for these precious foster children you serve? How can you turn multiple disruptions into long-term
stability?
