Katiya Blas-Arellano

Capstone Essay

Katiya Blas-Arellano

Mrs.Ferrari

English

May 5, 2020

Foster system

Every kid has a story, every kid leaves an impactful presence. The foster system is important to me because my family is a foster family. My family has been taking care of foster kids for the past 6 years. We have fostered fourteen kids. There was this one time we fostered a two year old, her name is Elianna, but we called her Eli. She was living in a car with her mom and her mom did some drugs, and couldn’t care for her. The Department of Human Services (DHS) found them and called us and asked if we could take her in, just until they could find some of her family that would be able to care. She stayed with us for two days and it was amazing, then DHS found some family and she went to her aunt's house in Oregon. On Christmas Eve, we got a call and DHS was wondering if we would take her in again because the aunt always had to work and couldn’t care for Elli's needs. Over time her mom got better, and she got to go back to her mom and is currently in a group rehab house. We help kids from all ages, but this was the most impactful kid that we cared for. Not many kids go back to their parents when they are young. Most people think that the child goes back when they are eighteen, old enough to see their parents without the foster system. Some parents fight to get their children back. But, from what I understand, different types of abuse are emotional, physical, mental, neglect, and many more. These different types of abuse hurt a child very bad and slows down a child’s mental development. The foster system helps kids at all ages get out of abusive homes, and dangerous situations.

My project is going to be a sculpture of a child. I am going to outline my friend’s head, shoulders, arms and chest and shoulder with copper bendable wire and chicken wire. I am also going to hang different objects and different words expressing how a child feels during abuse, this will represent how a child feels when they are in an abusive home. I am also going to hang little firecrackers in the head area, because most foster kids are confused and they are also having many emotions about why they go into the foster system. My project will be hard because this is my first time making outlining a person or anything with bendable wire.

There are many types of abuse, but mental abuse, emotional abuse, and physical abuse are the main types of abuse that children suffer. Mental abuse is characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another person to behavior that may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Physical abuse is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person. In most cases, children are the victims of physical abuse, as in cases of domestic violence aggression. Emotional abuse is where a child is living in continuous fear and sorrow, and so cannot eat well to grow well. They will be vulnerable to diseases and health complications, emotional abuse can hold back a child’s mental development.

Mental abuse is used in many different forms, such as gaslighting, denying their abuse, and grooming. Denying their abuse, this is where the victim doesn’t want to admit that they have been hurt mentally. Gaslighting is another one, this is where the victim sees what happens but the abuser says that they didn’t do it and the victim then believes the lie. Grooming is the predatory act of maneuvering another individual into a position that makes them more isolated, dependent, likely to trust, and more vulnerable to abusive behavior. Mental health is any intentional act causing injury or trauma to another person. In most cases, children are mainly the victims of physical abuse, as in other cases of domestic violence. Victims usually pull away from people that trust, anxiety, and they become more doubtful of themselves and others. Mental Abuse is one of the main abusive ways to hurt a child or anyone for that matter, but with physical abuse you leave a mark on a child.

Physical abuse hurts a child on the outside, but it leaves a mark in the inside and the outside. Some ways of abusing someone physically is by scratching, punching, biting, strangling or kicking. Throwing something at someone else such as a phone, book, shoe, plate, etc. For some adults they could have seen the abuse or have been abused themselves and see pain directed to people as an effective compliance method. They are quick to inflict pain to kids to get them to comply. This is though a lack of parenting support, because parents don't know what to do if a baby is crying, just an example. Some have been taught to not care for their children because they weren’t cared for by their parents themselves; they might have been in the same situation themselves. Kids are in their learning years and are going to make mistakes. Parents are quick to lash out, and be abusive to kids instead of applying other non-abusive corrective methods.

Emotional abuse hurts a kid just as much as the others, even though. Mental abuse and emotional abuse are different. They are unable to feel and/or express a full range of emotions, and control their emotions. Their emotional development has been badly compromised, and they can not feel things like normal people should. They are at a great risk of developing one or more behavioural problems. This can include learning difficulties, relationships problems, difficulty with socialising, rebellious, aggressive and violent behaviour, criminality and even not being bothered about your own self or others Some ways of emotional abuse are seeing abuse, Parental neglect, Avoid thinking of self or others, they force others to know their personal values,and personality disorders. Some symptoms that are the cause of emotional abuse are inability to trust or fear or feel anything, low empathy, they can be anxious and depressed about many things. Even though Emotional abuse is different then mental abuse they both have the same reactions. Kids in the foster system feel like this at their real homes, and sometimes at their coaster homes because they have been abused. These are the main types of abuse that cause a child to have to go into the foster system.

The foster system processes a long time and is thought out during the course of action. A child enters the foster care system after a report has been filed with Child Protective Services (CPS), or found by the police. CPS will investigate the claim and a social worker will decide if it is safe for the child to stay in the home with his or her biological parents or guardians, or if it would be in the best interest of the child to move him or her out of the home and into a better place (Jones). If a child’s safety is not being fulfilled the right way at home, they are placed in foster care and the family receives services (including ISRS, SPRF, and other services) to assist them (“2018 Child Welfare”). Once the child is moved out of his or her home the social worker will see if kinship care is possible. Kinship care is where CPS tries to find some sort of family of the child blood Relatives . If CPS can not find any family, the child will have to enter the foster care system. During this time, the child’s birth parents or guardians work to complete the services that will allow the child to return home (Jones). When a child is placed in the foster system, foster families have many responsibilities to take care of the child.

Foster families have many responsibilities, not only taking care of children, but also making sure they're going to school, and arranging medical appointments for the children to get stronger. Some of the things that a foster family has to provide are education and transportation. They get them the help they need in behavioral health or developmental services and their chances of improvement are greatly improved. While the kids or kids are in their care they receive medical treatment which they have to drive the kids or I’d too. This may include dentists, checkups, therapy, and more. While the child is in care and is settled in with the foster family they get to then meet with their parents/guardian depending on how bad the situation was in the first place (Jones). The social workers must be able to assess current and imminent risk and ensure that arrangements are made to protect the child in accordance with state and federal laws, agency policies, and administrative directives governing child protection (“Foster Care”). These are things that are to keep the child healthy and these can not be met if a child is in an abusive home.

Social workers are a big part of the foster system because they are the one that are in charge of where the child gets placed, what concealing they get, and etc. The social worker must be able to assess current and imminent risk and ensure that arrangements are made to protect the child with state and federal laws, agency policies, and administrative directives governing child protection(“Foster Care”). They also have different areas to help the parents of the foster care system for them to get better. They have treatments to help the kids and the birth parents so they can try to get to reunification(“2018 Child Welfare”).While the child is in the foster care system the social worker must check on the child at the foster home at least once a month (Jones). Social workers are a big part of the reason kids are being cared for and the reason some kids are getting out of abuse homes.

In order to protect kids from abuse, there have to be laws. There are many laws to protect the kids, but these are most interesting to me. To be protected from physical and sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exploitation; Developing and implementing service plans and agreements that address the needs, rights, and best interests of the child. Advocating for the child's rights when family members, community institutions (such as school/law enforcement), or the Department administrative practices appear to encroach upon the child's rights. Arranging for a guardian to take care of them, a court appointed special advocate to represent a child when the department can’t freely or objectively advocate for the child's rights ( “How does foster care”)The laws and others help protect the children that have been abused.

The government helps by installing rules and other procedures to make sure these children do not go back home and get hurt.The legislation would require states to identify and report child sex trafficking victims within 24 hours to law enforcement authorities. Another prevention strategy is to provide normalcy to the lives of foster children who lack normalcy. This is one reason many children run away, which makes them even more vulnerable to trafficking (“Twenty-Eighteen”). The department may involve a relative as a safety service provider after the assessment that determines the individual is a safe and appropriate resource for involvement in managing a child's safety as required under Child Welfare Policy ( How Does The Foster Care). The government helps keep children safe but some of these rules/laws only help a few.

The foster system helps kids get out of the horrible situations, and puts them in a safe home. My family has been fostering for the past six years, we have had fourteen kids, and I learned so much about what the foster system actually does. I learned that there is so much hurt and dysfunction in families that need the foster system. In most cases it is because the parent/guardian have been in a similar situation, or have seen other abusers do it to others. I am surprised that there aren’t many rules or laws to help protect the children, I expected there to be many more laws to help children because this is a serious thing in Oregon. We have had to send kids to other states to have a home for them. I think there should be more laws and that the foster system is a great way to help and keep children safe.

For my project I want it to explain how a child feels during the process and how they feel when they are in their abusive homes. So I will be using the information I have about the three main types of abuse to describe the kids having to enter the foster system in the first place. I will be explaining that when a child is hurt, that it slows down their thinking, their physical action, their self thoughts change. My project is going to explain what I learned about the foster system and what I already know.

Works Cited

“Twenty-Eighteen Child Welfare Data Book.” Office of Reporting, Research, Analytics and Implementation

Department of Human Services, May 2019, www.oregon.gov/DHS/CHILDREN/CHILD-ABUSE/Documents/2018-Child-Welfare-Data-Book.pdf. Accessed April 5 , 2020

“Foster Care.” State of Oregon: Foster Care - Foster Care,

www.oregon.gov/dhs/children/fostercare/Pages/index.aspx. 6 April, 2020

“How Does Foster Care Affect a Child's Development?” Adoption,

https://adoption.org/foster-care-affect-childs-development. March 2, 2020.

Jones, Jennifer “How Does The Foster System Work In The USA”

Adoption , n.d. https://adoption.org/foster-system-work-USA.February 2, 2020.

“What Is the Federal Government Doing to Protect Foster Children?” What Is the Federal Government Doing to Protect Foster Children? | Partners for Our Children, 6 May 2014, https://partnersforourchildren.org/blog/what-federal-government-doing-protect-foster-children. April 21,2020

“What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Emotional Child Abuse?” Emotional Child Abuse Facts and Tips for Kids, www.eschooltoday.com/child-abuse/emotional-child-abuse/signs-of-emotional-child-abuse.html.

“What Is Physical Child Abuse?” Physical Child Abuse Facts and Tips for Kids, www.eschooltoday.com/child-abuse/physical-child-abuse/what-is-physical-child-abuse.html.