Foster Parenting and Foster Care in Louisiana - Research Paper Example

Foster Parenting and Foster Care in Louisiana Foster Parenting and Foster Care in Louisiana Foster parenting aims to help children who had to leave their family as a result of ‘abuse, neglect or sexual victimization’ (Department of Children and Family Services, Foster Parenting 2012). Foster care is a service established in order to offer support to children who need to leave their family for a particular period of time. This means that foster care is provided rather in short term; as long as the scheme is in progress, the birth parents are given appropriate support so that the child’s family environment to be improved, otherwise another permanent placement of the child has to be identified.

Foster parents need to develop for the child a ‘family-like environment’ (Department of Children and Family Services, Foster Parenting 2012), ensuring that the vital needs of the child, in terms of food, clothing, health and education, are fully covered. Foster parents also need to support the personal development and growth of the child (Department of Children and Family Services, Foster Parenting 2012). It should be noted that foster parents do not have parental rights, at least not at the same level as the birth parents; for this reason, foster parents need to cooperate with the local authorities and the birth parents for identifying the needs of the child in terms of daily care.

The above rules are common in foster parenting schemes developed across USA. In Louisiana, authorities have focused on the support of foster parents so that the care provided to the children, in the context of foster parenting, to be as appropriate as possible.In 2003, the number of children in foster care in Louisiana has been estimated to 4,541 (Foster Care Month Organization 2005). Among those children, 53 are male, while the average age of children in foster care is 10 years (Foster Care Month Organization 2005).

As of September of 2003, the average period that a foster child stays in a foster family has been estimated to 29 months, which can be characterized as rather long (Foster Care Month Organization 2005). In 2004, the number of certified foster homes in Louisiana was estimated to 2,822 (Foster Care Month Organization 2005).In order for a family to provide foster care, it has to ask for a foster care certification. The requirements of this certification are the following ones: a) provision of information to foster family in regard to the needs and the demands of the program, b) the submission of a relevant application, c) fingerprints are provided by all members of the foster family, meaning those members who are above 18, d) foster parents need to participate in pre-service training programs, d) caseworkers review the house of the foster family, meaning in terms of the facilities available, but mostly in terms of the family environment, e) after the completion of the above phases, the certification is provided to the foster family and the child is placed in the foster family’s home (Department of Children and Family Services, Foster Parenting 2012).

All the expenses of the child are covered by the state. In fact, a daily board rate is paid to foster parents; this board rate refers to the child’s needs in terms of clothing, food and personal hygiene, the child’s other daily expenses (which are covered in form of an allowance) and the gifts for the child (Department of Children and Family Services, Foster Parenting 2012). In accordance with a report published by the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning, in 2005 the monthly maintenance payment for foster care in Louisiana has been $380 for a 2-years old child, $365 for a 9-years old child and $399 for a child of 16-years or older (National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning (2008).

In 2009, the above rates have been increased, reaching the $467 for a 2-years old child and the $448.80 for a child between 6 and 12-years. The use of the above amounts for covering the needs of the child is monitored by the social workers that cooperate, as explained above, with foster parents and the birth parents so that the needs of the child are fully covered. In any case, the priority of the state in regard to the foster care programs is to ensure that the needs of neglected and abused children are covered.

ReferencesDepartment of Children and Family Services (2012) State of Louisiana. Online. Retrieved 2012, February 8 fromhttp://www.dss.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=120Department of Children and Family Services – State of Louisiana (2011) Louisiana Foster Care Rates. Online. Retrieved 2012, February 8 fromhttp://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/policy/hndbook%20fce/E070/NationalRates.htmFoster Care Month Organization (2005) Facts About Children in Foster Care in Louisiana. Online. Retrieved 2012, February 8 fromhttp://www.

fostercaremonth.org/AboutFosterCare/StatisticsAndData/Documents/LA-Facts-FCM07.pdfLouisiana Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (2012) Online. Retrieved 2012, February 8 from http://www.lfapainc.org/National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning (2008) Foster Care Maintenance Payments. Retrieved 2012, February 8 fromhttp://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/foster-care-maintenance-payments.pdf