Child Protection - Ethical and Child Development Issues Relating to Foster Care - Essay Example

Child Protection Child Protection: Ethical and Child Development Issues Relating to Foster Care YOU ACADEMIC ORGANISATION Child Protection2 Child Protection: Ethical and Child Development Issues Relating to Foster Care Introduction Removing a child from a birth parent due to insufficient parenting or unstable home environments is never an easy decision for those individuals who enforce child protection laws. Every situation involving at risk children is distinctly different and protection efforts must weigh the consequences of placing a child in foster care based on ethical issues or the severity of the dysfunctional family environment. Every year in England and Wales, over 80,000 children experience public care because their parents are unable to look after them; enough to fill the stadium at Wembley on cup final day (Hill & Mather, 2003). These are somewhat staggering statistics and it poses the question as to whether all of those children were truly at risk and whether removing them to foster care was in the best interest of the childs welfare. Arguably, when a child is witness (or the victim) to domestic assault or extreme cases of parental alcoholism, removing the child, at least temporarily to allow the parent to enter some form of rehabilitation programme, is in the best interest of the youth. However, research suggests that children in institutional care are at risk of attachment disorder and developmental delay, but Europe still relies heavily on this form of care for children in adversity (Browne et al, 2006). What this suggests is that the drawbacks to the foster care system must be weighted against the actual needs of the child and any developmental issues, both short- and long-term, must be considered from an ethical standpoint before removing children from unstable parental environments. Failure to do so maintains the potential to put the child at further risk of long-term psychological damage and infringe on certain parental rights. Child Protection 3 Positive Aspects of Child Removal to Foster Care Children of alcoholics have an approximately four times greater risk of becoming an alcoholic themselves (Reich, 1997). A child who is exposed to hostile home environments, or maladjusted homesteads based on alcoholism, should be removed from that environment if the parent is unable to cope or correct this sometimes debilitating substance abuse problem. Given the statistic about the risk of a child becoming an alcoholic based on parental substance abuse, leaving the child to attempt to thrive in this maladjusted home environment is somewhat irresponsible for child protection law enforcers and policy makers. In a larger scenario, more so than just the welfare of the child, legally mandated removal of the child under the Child Protection Order can act as a punishment for the parent for his or her unstable lifestyle. Using the aforementioned case study as an example, a parent who is emotionally distraught over the removal of the children might be prompted by foster care initiatives to improve their lifestyle in order to receive custodial rights once again. This may involve entering a rehabilitation programme or attending counselling sessions to improve parenting skills. Without the catalyst of child-removal, it may be a fair assessment that the parents alcoholism would continue to endure during the childs developmental years; continuing to impact the child in countless negative scenarios. Children who are reared by parents who suffer from depression are often exposed to poor quality parent-child relationships, which could be a remediable risk factor for poor health in later adulthood (Stewart-Brown et al, 2005). Postnatal depression (post-birth) in mothers affects the quality of maternal care, and can lead to disturbances in their childrens social, behavioural, cognitive, and physical Child Protection 4 development (Ramchandani et al, 2005). Especially for younger children, the early years of forming quality relationships with a parental figure are formidable in developing long-term personality characteristics of the child. Assuming that depressive tendencies in a parent actually maintain the ability to affect such a multitude of child development characteristics, it is, arguably, the ethical responsibility of social leadership to remove a child at risk of developmental problems to temporary foster care. A parent, who maintains significant, legally-acknowledged parental rights to raise their natural child, might argue that depression is not a significant factor to justify the loss of the child. However, in terms of the case study, the combination of alcoholism and depression indicate a trend toward mental disturbances within the parent that put the child at risk. Allowing the child to remain in this disturbing environment will likely aid in poor behavioural characteristics in the child and removal to foster care outweighs, in the short-term, satisfying the parents arguments about rights infringement. Child abuse, often thought of by many as merely a physical assault on a youth, is actually defined as anything which individuals, institutions or processes do (or fail to do) which directly or indirectly harms children or damages their prospects of a safe and healthy development into adulthood (Hobbs & Heywood, 1997). What this indicates is that situations in which a child is reported as being abused do not necessarily involve physical brutality. The actual definition of child abuse leaves a broad interpretation of what situations would actually constitute child abuse, offering a parent the opportunity to argue against the removal of the child to foster care based on vague definitions of child abuse. However, referring to the case study, two children who have been exposed Child Protection 5 to parental domestic assault are clearly at risk for further unsafe and unhealthy environments. In this complex situation, the children must be removed to prevent further abuse as ample evidence exists that the children are being indirectly affected by hostility within the home. Hard evidence of extreme manifestations of child abuse reinforces an increasingly bleak view of human nature and human relationships (Fitzpatrick, 2004) for adults who were exposed to domestic hostility during youth. What this suggests is that unstable parenting maintains the potential to significantly hamper adult socialisation and this theoretical idea contributes to the necessity of the foster care system. As a child witnesses assault between the adult figures in the home, it can send the idea to the impressionable child that such battery is commonplace in relationships. Contributing literature also suggests that many women stay in these dysfunctional relationships because they believe they do not deserve anything better, they do not think they can "make it" financially and that they believe it is their duty to stay in the relationship (Henslin, 2003). Removing the child to foster care because of these distorted relationship perceptions might afford the parent the opportunity to reassess the quality of his or her relationship in order to provide a more stable home for the children; essentially, ending the dysfunctional association with the abuser. Negative Aspects of Child Removal to Foster Care Attachment is an emotional bond that develops in the first year of life that makes human babies cling to their caregivers for safety and comfort (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Taking a child into foster care prior to the first year of life can be significantly Child Protection 6 damaging to how a child bonds with adults and has been said to impact future relationships with others. A child under the age of one year, in absence of its recognised caregiver, often grow fearful or anxious about their own security (Morris & Maisto, 2005). This is a very difficult ethical dilemma for child protection initiatives, as the obvious reason for removing a child to foster care is to reduce the risk of further harm in the unstable home environment. However, the long-term damage to healthy adult behaviours associated with the removal of a familiar caregiver might force an individual to reject foster care as an option for such a young child. In a radically different scenario, the question as to whether a child is actually safer in a foster home environment is proposed. Well-publicised tragedies of children abused in foster care often distort public perceptions of the benefits that foster families provide to children (Bissell & Green, 2005). It may be true to a large majority of foster homes are stable, however, the possibility of further abuse within these foster facilities is very much a reality. A recent study interviewed 190 random girls who were being housed in the foster care system. Of these 190 subjects, it was found that 54% of the girls met the criteria for being categorised as sexually abused (Edmond et al, 2002). With such alarming statistics, the overall effectiveness and safety of the foster care system should be considered before removing a child from its natural parent. Further, the Safeguarding Children 2005 report warns that a lack of resources in social service departments means cases are often only acted upon once they are identified as a serious risk, potentially leaving children in serious danger (Community Practitioner, 2005). What this suggests is that once a child has left his unstable parent Child Protection 7 and entered the foster care system, oftentimes his or her well-being in the new home goes unchecked due to inadequate resources. There appears to be a somewhat broad assumption by policy makers that the foster care system, by design, is safer than that of a temporarily unstable parent and therefore continuous monitoring of foster homes is not occurring as it should be. This might make any individual contemplating the removal of a child to foster care to consider the possible risk factors associated with the foster care system. In reference to the case study, the parent, herself, is the individual in need of a reassessment of her lifestyle and might be able to change her environment for the sake of the children. Rather than remove the children to foster care, it might be better suited for the entire family to promote counselling for the mother as a long-term mental health benefit. Because of the possibility of abuse within the foster care system, the case study children have the potential to be positively impacted in their home environment using counselling tools. Removing a child to foster care can often make somewhat older children feel that they have been neglected by the parent. Even though foster care is designed for temporary benefit, sometimes children remain in this system for years. The affects of neglect on children has been linked to depression, drug abuse, severe obesity, as well as requiring special education in school (Hedger, 2001). A child of four years old, for example, does not maintain the maturity level to rationalise that temporary placement in a foster home is to ensure the childs security. Therefore, the impact on development through perceptions of neglect are possibly substantial and social leadership must recognise the psychological risks for the child when considering foster care. A child Child Protection 8 who is already feeling neglected might only have this emotion reinforced by removal from the natural parent. Current legislation exists that amends the Children Act of 1989 by giving the courts greater control over parental contact when a parent attempts to regain custodial rights of a child who has been removed and placed into foster care. In this scenario, the parent may be required to take part in an information sessions, to provide information or advice regarding contact, as well as a programme, class, counselling, or guidance session to assist the parent in making contact with the child (The Lawyer, 2005). In terms of the arguments proposed by a parent for possible infringement on natural rights, social leadership and policy makers should consider the intense pressure exerted on a natural parent during the process of regaining custodial rights to the child in foster care. Depending on the length of time spent in foster homes, the psychological trauma to a child can be intense as the child might grow accustomed to the foster caregiver and be reluctant to embrace the natural parent as he or she works toward making contact. If a child is left in a strange place, in this case a return to the home environment, most young children will cry and refuse to be comforted; creating the childs perception of an insecure environment. During the early stages of childhood development, most children establish a sense of autonomy in which they strive for a sense of independence (Morris & Maisto, 2005) and the child can become withdrawn from the natural parent due to the perceptions of the childs environment being manipulated and out of control. This possible consequence of being taken to foster care can be negatively dramatic to childhood development and creates a situation in which the child never fully bonds with the natural parent. Child Protection 9 Conclusion Regardless of the situation in which a child is thrust due to parental depression, alcoholism or domestic assault, amongst countless other negative scenarios, attempts at protecting the child must be evaluated to determine the best interest of the child. The foster care system has its positive aspects in terms of caring for at risk children as well as potential drawbacks if considered as a protective measure during inappropriate situations. Depending on the age of the child or their current stage of mental development, foster care can be a potentially life-saving option for a child in a troubled environment or a further hindrance to sound psychological development. Child welfare authorities must take tremendous care when placing a child into foster homes as well as taking an unbiased approach to the childs living situation in order to assess whether foster care is the right decision; based on each individual child. Dysfunctional environments, in terms of abusive or neglect mentalities, have the potential to trigger substantial trauma to a child, however, removal to the foster care system is certainly not always the best answer. If a parent can be rehabilitated while still maintaining custodial rights of the child, then social leadership should consider that option before imposing emotional suffering on both the parent and the child by adopting foster care as the first choice in alleviating a troubled situation. Child Protection 10 Bibliography Bissell, Mary & Green, Rob. (Dec 2005). Fostering Progress. Childrens Voice. Vol. 14, Iss.6, p.26. Browne, Kevin, Hamilton-Giachritsis, Catherine, Johnson, Rebecca & Ostergren, Mikael. (Feb 25 2006). Overuse of Institutional Care for Children in Europe. British Medical Journal. London: 332 (7539), p.485. Community Practitioner. (Sep 2005). Child Protection Services are Still Failing Children. London: 78 (9), p.308. Edmond, Tony, Auslander, Wendy, Elze, Diane E., McMillen, Curtis & Thompson, Ron. (2002). Differences between sexually abused and non-sexually abused adolescent girls in foster care. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. Binghamton: 11 (4), p.73. Fitzpatrick, Mike. (Mar 6 2004). Doctoring the Risk Society: Child Abuse. The Lancet. London: 363 (9411), p.830. Hedger, Virginia Dale, Ph.D. (2001). Predictors of Juvenile Criminality. Dissertation. University of Cincinatti. AAT3038947, p.10. Henslin, James M. (2003). Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach. 6th ed. London: p.497. Hill, Catherine M. & Mather, Mary. (Mar 15 2003). Children in Public Care. British Medical Journal. London: 326 (7389), p.560. Hobbs, CJ & Heywood, PL. (Mar 1 1997). Childhood Matters. British Medical Journal. London: 314 (7081), p.622. Morris, Charles G. & Maisto, Albert A. (2005). Psychology: An Introduction. Pearson Prentice Hall: p.384. Ramchandani, Paul, Stein, Alan, Evans, Jonathan & OConnor, Thomas G. (Jul 1 2005). Paternal Depression in the Postnatal Period and Child Development. The Lancet. London: 365 (9478), p.2202. Reich, Wendy. (1997). Prospective Studies of Children of Alcoholic Parents. Alcohol Health and Research World. Vol. 21, Iss.3, p.255. Stewart-Brown, Sarah L., Fletcher, Lynn &Wadsworth, Michael E.J. (Dec 2005). Parent-Child Relationships and Health Problems in Adulthood in Three UK National Birth Cohort Studies. European Journal of Public Health. Oxford: 15 (6), p.640. The Lawyer. (May 7 2005). Private Client/Family: Making Contact. London: p.27. Read More