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Foster Parents Speak Out About Broken System
Foster Parents Speak Out About Broken System
Overcrowded conditions at Child Haven have county officials stepping up recruitment efforts for more foster families. But that plea has some current foster parents angry because they've been waiting more than a year for a child to be placed in their home. Eyewitness News has protected their identity -- for fear of retribution for speaking out -- so they could share their views on the foster care crisis. Foster parent: "Everything that we are reading in the paper and seeing in the media is not black and white. We are a broken system." These foster parents feel betrayed by a system that is supposed to bring families together. They all have licenses to foster children, so they don't understand why they haven't been contacted by the county about possible placement considering child haven is overflowing. Foster parent: "They are full of crap. They are full of crap. There are so many people. I could find probably find a dozen homes for children in the snap of my finger already licensed." Their experience has taught them it's all a game of caseworkers and supervisors playing favorites. Foster parent: "You're punished constantly. If you speak up to the wrong worker, they'll just by word of mouth. You won't get kids." Foster parent: "There are a selected few that they are picking and they are not picking the one's that can really help and really want to help." These foster parents, or potential foster parents, say their calls to the county constantly go unanswered. Their concerns and questions are buried in a system that seems riddled with red tape. Foster parent: "Clean house. Get rid of the slack. Get rid of the duplication of efforts. I've filled out the same paperwork probably 17 times." Despite their frustrations, these foster parents say they won't give up because they believe someone needs to fight for the rights of these young children. Foster parent: "I could love another one and there are kids out there that are looking for love. Sometimes social services doesn't look at the love that a child needs. And that's what keeps I think most of us in here. Because we do care and we do want it to happen." The foster parents Eyewitness News spoke with say another problem with the process is that there are too many licensing categories, which often limits where children can be placed temporarily or permanently. http://www.klastv.com/Global/story.a...21816&nav=168Y Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action. We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. |
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