9.3: What Happens if a Child Cannot Be Returned to the Birth Family?
- Page ID
- 215503
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)What Happens When A Child Needs Foster Care?
Most children would rather stay with their own family, no matter how dysfunctional or unsafe it is, than to be removed and placed with strangers. Even if they lived in chaos, it was what they were used to. Now a stranger has taken them to another family’s home. Everyone is new. Everything is new. It smells different, the food is different, the rules are different. Everyone is trying to be nice but they aren’t your people… they are different. That is what it is like for so many children who are placed in foster care. They begin to question who and what can be believed or trusted. The child may stop valuing relationships because they are not concrete and aren’t going to last. The child may stop investing himself/herself in certain things, or in anything, because it doesn’t really matter. All they want to do is go back to their people, their home, their bed… to go back to what it was before.
"Child" by be creator is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Alt text: child looks over fence with two adults present
Eventually, most children become accustomed to the safety and security of their new home. It is best when they can stay in this home as long as possible, to be able to build relationships, look forward to events and find some sort of normalcy. Every single move is a traumatic experience. The more moves a child experiences, the more trauma. Children’s brains do not have the capability to forward-think, even in the best of circumstances. They only know what they think they need at that moment in time. They operate out of a place of emotion, not rational thought. It is exhausting. When they scream, fight, cuss, and otherwise misbehave, it is often coming from a place of just not knowing what to do… a place of feeling totally out of control of their own life. This misbehavior is an unknowing cry for help.
What Happens if a Child Can Not Be Reunited to the Birth Family?
Sometimes, the birth parents are not able to make changes to be able to care for their children. In this case, after 12-18 months, the court will move to legally sever the parent's rights to the children. The children will become legal orphans, and will be available for adoption. At that point, the caseworker will search for the right match of an adoptive family to become the child's "forever family". Once the match has been identified, the child will move to their new family. They will still be considered a ward of the court for six months or more, while the child and family make sure it is a good match. Following this trial period, the adoption will be legally finalized, and the child will become the new parent's child. A new birth certificate will be issued, and the relationship will be treated as any other parent/child relationship.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
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The CASA program is a nationwide effort to help the court in making decisions about what is in the best interest of children. The CASA program was started by a judge in Seattle, WA, who believed that he needed someone else on the child’s side, someone whom he could trust to look out for the best interest of the whole child. CASA is now a nation-wide program.
CASAs represent the CHILD! When a child is removed and becomes a ward of the state, they have an attorney, a case worker, a foster family, and usually a medical team, counselor, school, and more. That is a lot of professionals involved in the life of a child; some of them may never have even met the child (other than reading their file). Each professional is looking out for their part of the child's case, through the filters of their interest in the case. The CASA comes to the case from a totally unbiased perspective. The CASA has unlimited access to the child's case file and records, but also gets to know the child. Depending on the individuals and circumstances, the CASA may spend a couple of hours a week with the child or working on his/her behalf. The CASA may attend school conferences and advocate for preferential seating, tutoring, explain trauma needs, etc. The CASA may also speak with the caseworker to alert him/her to the need for an eye exam and possibly glasses, or to the need for a hearing, dental or other health check. The CASA looks out for the WHOLE CHILD, not just one part. The CASA reviews all the records, spends time getting to know the child, and then presents any recommendations to the judge on behalf of what the CASA believes is in the best interest of the child.
Images created with Open AI and under no copyright
CASAs can also become the only constant or friendly person that the child can depend upon. Foster families and caseworkers may change. Schools and doctors may change. The CASA will (hopefully!) stay with the child throughout his/her time in foster care. Many CASA volunteers take their CASA children for ice cream and talks, go to the park to play and have conversation, etc. The CASA has a very important role in the child's life. When siblings are placed together in foster care, the same CASA may represent each of the children; if there are several siblings, a team of CASAs may work together. The CASA coordinator works for the court to support the CASA volunteers. He/she helps to recommend which CASAs are best matched with which children and cases.
CASAs are required to be professional in all that they do. They are serving as the eyes and ears of the court, as well as looking out for the best interest of the child. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance! CASAs are exposed to some of the most horrific case file descriptions imaginable, as they research a case before meeting a child. They are understanding but firm in their role. CASAs often have very tough decisions to make, before recommending family reunification or parental severance. Whatever they do, CASAs always act in whatever is best for the interest of the child.
According to the National CASA program ( https://nationalcasagal.org ), children who have CASA volunteers advocating for them are half as likely to return to the foster care system. This speaks to the solidity of recommendations that CASAs make to the court. Judges typically listen more closely to CASA volunteers' recommendations than they do to any of the other team member professionals mentioned above. CASAs have a real impact!