Honest Parenting

admin answers:

Dear Sizesmith,

Since so many others have listed better screening of foster parents and easing the caseloads of COMPETENT social workers so that they can provide ACTUAL services to children and families in need. I will give my third choice for a suggestion:

Penatlies for false reporting & penalties for NOT reporting.

Five+ years of working and volunteering in the Family Courts and working closely with DSS has taught me that there is FAR too much time and FAR too many resources WASTED on false reports. The system is abused by vindictive people to get back at each other (divorce cases, disgruntled employees, etc.) and these kinds of calls are both a waste of time and some have also resulted children being removed without proper investigstion and proof which is damaging to families who have done nothing wrong and over loads the system.

There are also many cases of severe and obvious abuse which go UNREPORTED by techers, doctors, guidence counselors, etc. People who are found to have been AWARE of abuse but failed to act should face penalties as well.

Both of these issues could be tracked and checked if there were better organization and communication between departments, SWs, CASA/GAL, counselors, schools and other persons involved in CPS enforcement. Too often these entities work against each other and allow for the system to be abused.

ETA: Sly, what a great response and I agree with you 110%!!!

admin answers:

Just call your local DHS. It really is that simple. I thought it would be a lot more complicated, and I went through this whole thing with contacting adoption agencies and other places…and once I got ahold of DHS, they gave me all the information I needed. I’m not sure if it’s called DHS everywhere, but look for:

Services to children and families
Department of human services
Child Protection Services
Children’s Services Division

The number will be in the “government” section of the phone book. Best of luck to you!

admin answers:

No, it’s not based on wealth. When completing the forms and interviews to become a foster parent (you do need to be eligible income wise), you list what ages and types of children you would like to foster. So, if an African American baby girl is put in to placement, she may go to a family who has requested that sort of placement. I’m pretty sure it’s mostly based on that.

admin answers:

Private adoption agencies are essentially adoption businesses. They are generally “for profit” and even if they are non-profit then still charge enough to cover their expenses (legal, social workers, office fees medical perhaps and other costs as well) plus enough more to keep them going. They generally have children available for adoption when persons approach them to place a child for adoption (I’m trying to avoid any editorializing regarding the circumstances in which these children come into the system.)

Foster care adoptions are adoptions involving children who have been apprehended by social services from parents deemed by the Courts to be unable to care for a child or provide for the child’s safety and security. These people may have drug and alcohol issues, legal issues and/or any number of other issues that have lead to their children being removed from their care. These children have become wards of the state and deemed by the courts to be free for adoption. As such, the state is essentially their permanent guardians and responsible for their care and their future placements. All costs for the adoption of these children are normally paid for by the state and therefore the adoptive parents generally have to pay nothing, or very little if anything.

admin answers:

Do you know the foster care home he was in? Try and contact them and see if they can give you any information, also you can create a group on facebook, call it something like ‘looking for my long lost brother called ……’ and the information and hopefully if he comes accross it then he may contact you. Hope you find him. *