Foster and Adoptive Families in Canada - Essay Example

Foster and Adoptive Families in Canada (Insert Name) (Institution Affiliation) Foster care and adoption is an integral part of child protection system in Canada. Foster and adoptive families usually provide a safe, family based, nurturing environment for children who cannot reside with their biological parents for various possible reasons. In Canada, there are two types of foster homes namely: regular or non – relative foster homes; whereby the foster parents are usually approved to care for any child or youth in the custody or care of a youth, family and family service manager. Secondly, we have the relative foster homes whereby the foster parents are approved to adopt or take care of a child whom they have significant genetic relationship. Foster and adoptive parents will have the opportunity to a comfortable nurturing life experience for an adopted or foster child. The foster care is thus all about relationships. In addition, foster care is about providing a child who eligible for adoption with powerful family experiences and partnership whereby each will have a team of individuals in his or her life. The team members that is responsible for ensuring the in care child is treated fairly include foster parents, the birth parents or relatives and the social workers (Brodzinsky & Pinderhughes, 2002). This team creates treatment plan that will provide the services necessary to help the child achieve a permanent living situation. Approximately one in every five Canadian families is touched by adoption or foster parenthood. They are either adoptive parent, adopted children themselves, birth parents, family members or foster families. This translates to about 7 million Canadians who are directly or indirectly affected by foster or adoption, and yet adoption and foster remains one of the most stigmatized and misunderstood social phenomenon in Canada. Majority of child welfare practitioners in Canada are increasingly becoming aware of the great importance of foster parents as permanent resources for youths and children in foster homes. Majority of children and youths in foster care who eventually become available for adoption are mainly adopted by their foster parents or families. In order to facilitate these adoptions, all the professionals in this field should be knowledgeable enough about the costs, benefits and the general practice issues that surround the foster parent adoption. Statistics from the Canadian bureau of statistics, foster parent adopts around 60 % of the adopted children in Canada. This makes foster parents one of the most important sources of adoptive families for youths and children in Canada (c-seven, 2013). However, Canada like many other countries is experiencing a critical shortage of foster homes. This shortage of foster homes in the country has resulted in the overreliance on the staffed living arrangements to care the youths and children in – care who would otherwise be placed in the available foster homes. One of the key challenges facing Canada is the swelling number of youth and children in the child welfare systems that qualify for adoption and are desperately waiting for a loving, permanent family and home to call their own. Out of approximately 78, 000 children that are in child welfare system in Canada, more than 30, 000 are eligible and legally free for adoption. This means that contrary to the myth that there are no children or youths available for adoption, Canada has thousands of eligible adoption candidates including new born babies. However, a good number of these children are above six years old who need permanent homes and rewarding to the foster and adoptive families who take them in as part of the family. A number or studies and survey indicate that the recruitment and ultimate retention of foster families is severely impacted by several key factors: first of all, the changing complexity of the needs of adopted children and in care youths. Secondly, the changes in the work roles of women who the backbone of a number of families leads to diminished chances of adoption as they engage in careers which are time consuming leaving them with very little time to care about family matters. The other crucial factors include rise of costs for foster and adoptive parents, heightened expectations on foster families, insufficient support foe foster parents, attrition as foster parents age and lack of value and clarity on the exact role of foster parents. Currently, foster parents in Canada require extra expertise and skills to go beyond meeting the daily needs of a youth or child. In addition to the legal role of nurturing and protecting youth and children, foster and adoptive families are expected by the society to deal with a wide range of issues that are complex in nature which are experienced by youth and children in – care. For instance, they need to work hand in hand with the birth families if they are available and in most case are experiencing mental health conditions, substance addiction or other significant issues that make them unsuitable to raise their own child. In addition, the foster families are required by the law to collaborate with social workers or other professionals who may at times restrict them from applying proper disciplining measures even when the adopted child misbehaves. Over the recent years, foster and adoptive parents in Canada has expressed their deep concerns to the department of youth, child and family service regarding the level of available support and quality of service which they receive and required to be efficient and effective in their primary roles with youth and children under their custody (Elze, 2012). Some of the foster families have reported severe financial difficulties that have forced them to close their homes due to burn out and lack of resources and support for both foster families and children, and the prevailing sense that the foster and adoptive families did not feel as part of or sufficiently valued by the Canadian foster care system. Generally, the foster parents have been portraying a sense of dissatisfaction, over the past few years, which has significantly affected recruitment of eligible adoption children. Another great challenge that is currently facing foster and adoptive parents in Canada is restrictions of their own rights. In fact foster parents have no rights. In many occasions, complex issues which force the foster and adoptive parents to sacrifice most of their own human rights that are guaranteed under the Canadian charter of human rights and freedoms in order to provide for the needs of the adopted children. Apart from lack of protection and rights provided by the law, vulnerability of foster parents is further compounded due to lack of an ideal appeal process which leaves the foster and adoptive families with no way to address a decision that they do not concur with. Furthermore, foster and adoptive parents voluntarily work within the Canadian child care system which occasionally leaves them very vulnerable to misunderstandings as well as constant allegations. Due to the nature of the system that is currently in place, the actions of the foster and adoptive families, their intensions, words and perceptions are constantly scrutinized. This constant effort by various agencies to continually verify through this scrutiny that foster homes are truly the safe places the children need to be raised in, leads to circumstances that cause subjective decisions to be made at times through the use of the Balance of Probability Theory. However, not all decisions that are reached that are in the best interest to the foster parents. Currently the foster and adoptive parents are only given a provision to appeal only the process and not the decision. Even if the decision was arrived using erroneous facts, this does not aloe the decision to be overturned. Just as there as many benefits when foster parents adopt a child, there are also huge costs and responsibilities that accompany the action. While the foster and adoptive families gain autonomy, they consequently lose the support and other forms of assistance from the agency and also their ties with caseworkers are reduced if not eliminated completely. As a result, the adoptive families receive fewer support and resources which leaves the family vulnerable especially financially. In addition, when the foster or adoptive parents gain the coveted decision making privileges, they become accountable for the actions of the child and completely responsible for the financial welfare of the child. Some of these cost may be mitigated by the adoption assistance agencies or other post adoption services but most of the responsibilities lies on the hands of the adoptive families. Some of the common problems and challenges that are currently facing foster and adoptive families across the territories and provinces in Canada imply the urgent need for continued attention in this particular area (Brooks, Allen, & Barth, 2002). Canada is currently experiencing a chronic shortage of foster parents who are willing to offer permanent residence to the foster children. The increase of older children and the rising number of children with mental, physical and socio – emotional exceptionalities in the foster homes is posing a major challenge to the agencies due to their heightened needs. Also, foster care agencies are experiencing many challenges and extreme difficulties in recruitment and retention of foster parents due to inadequate system support. A teacher in a child care environment can support foster and adoptive families in a number of ways. First of all, since the teachers are usually flexible, he or she can support the family by facilitating learning and nurturing the child to enhance the aspects of cognitive, social emotional, psychological and physical. This will help to mold the behavior of the child and help him fit well in the foster family (McRoy & Fong, 2011). Secondly, the teacher can help in solving disputes between the child and the foster parents if they arise and help in preventing such by ensuring that the foster parent is involved in the daily activities of the child. The teacher can also employ his or her careful listening skills to determine the needs of the child and provide information that will aid the foster parents in fulfilling the. In conclusion, there are several challenges related to placement breakdown or foster parent turn over that is evident in the Canadian system. Such challenges include emotional and behavioral problems of the foster children, lack of support from the agency involved, unsupported or unprepared loss of foster children, and the possibility of dealing with the biological families of the foster children. Reflection response Each time I visit the website of Canada’s waiting children program, the high number of children who are waiting for adoption deeply touches me. Since there is nothing more I can do, I usually gather the information and give it to potential foster parents who are looking to adopt. Due to the myths that Canada has no children available for adoption, many people cannot believe that there are thousands of eligible children who are desperately waiting for a chance to belong to a family and have a place they can call home (c-seven, 2013). The fact that there are so many children waiting for a chance to be adopted compelled me into looking into the challenges that are facing the foster and adoptive families. The study was aimed at describing these challenges as perceived by the foster parents since they are on the front line of service delivery. In addition, I aimed at establishing the root cause of the increasing number of un- adopted children and the reasons preventing individuals from foster parenting. From the research on challenges facing foster parents in Canada, I was able to understand the extent of the adoption challenges. Furthermore, not all foster families are faced with the problems. Many families have been able to conquer the challenges and the adopted children have been a blessing to them. Several foster parents admit that they cannot imagine how life could be without these children. Therefore, on my opinion, for any prospective adoptive family sometimes the wait is the hardest thing to deal with but there are many benefits that results from adoption and I will be delighted if many people come out and brighten the future of thousands of children who are waiting in foster care for a second change of belonging. References Brodzinsky, D. M., & Pinderhughes, E. (2002). Parenting and child development in adoptive families. Handbook of parenting, 1, 279-311. Brooks, D., Allen, J., & Barth, R. P. (2002). Adoption services use, helpfulness, and need: A comparison of public and private agency and independent adoptive families. Children and Youth Services Review, 24(4), 213-238. c-seven. (2013). Myths and realities. Retrieved March 25, 2013, from Adoption Council of Canada: http://www.adoption.ca/myths-and-realities Diehl, D. C., Howse, R. B., & Trivette, C. M. (2010). Youth in foster care: Developmental assets and attitudes towards adoption and mentoring. Child & Family Social Work, 16(1), 81-92. Elze, D. E. (2012). In-home services for families of LGBTQ youth. National Resource Center for In-Home Services. Farr, R. H., Forssell, S. L., & Patterson, C. J. (2010). Parenting and child development in adoptive families: Does parental sexual orientation matter?. Applied Developmental Science, 14(3), 164-178. McRoy, R. G., & Fong, R. (2011). Help with Kids in Foster Care and Needing Adoption. The Church Leader's Counseling Resource Book: A Guide to Mental Health and Social Problems: A Guide to Mental Health and Social Problems, 394. Read More

One of the key challenges facing Canada is the swelling number of youth and children in the child welfare systems that qualify for adoption and are desperately waiting for a loving, permanent family and home to call their own. Out of approximately 78, 000 children that are in child welfare system in Canada, more than 30, 000 are eligible and legally free for adoption. This means that contrary to the myth that there are no children or youths available for adoption, Canada has thousands of eligible adoption candidates including new born babies.

However, a good number of these children are above six years old who need permanent homes and rewarding to the foster and adoptive families who take them in as part of the family. A number or studies and survey indicate that the recruitment and ultimate retention of foster families is severely impacted by several key factors: first of all, the changing complexity of the needs of adopted children and in care youths. Secondly, the changes in the work roles of women who the backbone of a number of families leads to diminished chances of adoption as they engage in careers which are time consuming leaving them with very little time to care about family matters.

The other crucial factors include rise of costs for foster and adoptive parents, heightened expectations on foster families, insufficient support foe foster parents, attrition as foster parents age and lack of value and clarity on the exact role of foster parents. Currently, foster parents in Canada require extra expertise and skills to go beyond meeting the daily needs of a youth or child. In addition to the legal role of nurturing and protecting youth and children, foster and adoptive families are expected by the society to deal with a wide range of issues that are complex in nature which are experienced by youth and children in – care.

For instance, they need to work hand in hand with the birth families if they are available and in most case are experiencing mental health conditions, substance addiction or other significant issues that make them unsuitable to raise their own child. In addition, the foster families are required by the law to collaborate with social workers or other professionals who may at times restrict them from applying proper disciplining measures even when the adopted child misbehaves. Over the recent years, foster and adoptive parents in Canada has expressed their deep concerns to the department of youth, child and family service regarding the level of available support and quality of service which they receive and required to be efficient and effective in their primary roles with youth and children under their custody (Elze, 2012).

Some of the foster families have reported severe financial difficulties that have forced them to close their homes due to burn out and lack of resources and support for both foster families and children, and the prevailing sense that the foster and adoptive families did not feel as part of or sufficiently valued by the Canadian foster care system. Generally, the foster parents have been portraying a sense of dissatisfaction, over the past few years, which has significantly affected recruitment of eligible adoption children.

Another great challenge that is currently facing foster and adoptive parents in Canada is restrictions of their own rights. In fact foster parents have no rights. In many occasions, complex issues which force the foster and adoptive parents to sacrifice most of their own human rights that are guaranteed under the Canadian charter of human rights and freedoms in order to provide for the needs of the adopted children. Apart from lack of protection and rights provided by the law, vulnerability of foster parents is further compounded due to lack of an ideal appeal process which leaves the foster and adoptive families with no way to address a decision that they do not concur with.

Furthermore, foster and adoptive parents voluntarily work within the Canadian child care system which occasionally leaves them very vulnerable to misunderstandings as well as constant allegations.

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