The following is in response to an article which appeared in the September 7, 2004 issue of Adoption Week, entitled, "Why I Continue to Care about Foster Care," which can be found at
http://e-magazine.adoption.com/artic...oster-care.php
As a social worker in long-term placement, I appreciated the article "Why I Continue to Care about Foster Care." Unfortunately, my hands as a social worker are often tied by the courts. I am of the opinion that continuing parental visits is often harmful for the children, but regardless, I am ordered to make them happen. If a child doesn't want to visit, I have to send them to a therapist to deal with the issue. (Would you believe they talk them into changing their minds?) If a child acts out after visits, it's assumed that he is saying he is unhappy because he is being separated and that we should increase the number and length of visits, etc., ad nauseum.
Everyone complains about how bad the system is and about the constant turn over in social workers, etc., but the reason for the turn over is that we are asked to do an impossible job and then when someone decides to "fix" something, they do so by creating another task, another form, another contact person for the social worker to do. Not only that, but like the article said, the legal system gives all the rights to parents and forces reunification. We are forced to consider that as the #1 choice regardless of our personal opinion. It is never too late until the child is adopted. A parent can reunify at any time, and we as social workers must state every six months what we are doing to assist the parent in that goal.
Let me present an example--I received some cases this week in which the children were placed into the system eight years ago due to physical abuse, substance abuse by Mom, and severe neglect. During that time, two of the children have emancipated out of the system at age 18. Two more have been adopted. The two I received are 13 and 17 years old. For the last four years, Mom could not even make it to visits. Then she had two more children enter the system. Prior to that she was caught lying to social workers who tried to assess the baby's well being. She reported an address where she was supposedly living. A social worker made a scheduled visit to that address. Mom attempted to keep them from entering the residence. When they insisted, she knocked on the door prior to entering. (Remember she is living here?)
Once inside, there were no baby items, and the baby was reportedly staying with someone else. It was obvious that there were no babies in the home due to medicines, electric cords, etc. that were easily accessible. Finally the baby and the toddler were removed from her care again due to drugs. This time, she entered a treatment program and is "doing well." Suddenly she can make her visits and everything is fine and the children should all be reunified. These girls were in a stable, upper class home, and the foster parents were ready to become their guardians, but then mom re-entered and suddenly the guardianship is off. The girls are having behavior problems and reunification for all four children - two infant boys and two teenage girls - is the best plan. Tell me that's fair and right? Tell me that once she is out of the program and the Dept. is no longer watching her that she will remain drug free? Tell me that living with her in a shared apartment is better than living in a large, upper class home where they have been for years. Tell me that changing schools in her senior year is good for the eldest girl? Yet, that is the order I must follow.
My opinion is that if the parents cannot reunify within 6 months that all visits should stop and the children should become adoptable. It should not be allowed to go on and on like this. There should be no such thing as long-term placement, or as the current jargon says "planned permanent living arrangement." It is wrong. Children need a home, not a placement.
I am sorry to be so long in this, but I just have to get it out of my system. I'm sick of the social workers being blamed. If changes are to be made, it needs to be at the level of the courts and the administration. Don't create any more forms. Don't ask a worker to make another phone call. Don't ask the worker to see the kids more often - they can't. We care. We took this job because we wanted to make a difference, but we soon quit caring and become secretaries more than social workers.