Annette Lareau’s book Unequal Childhoods is a compilation of her observational data of 12 children between the years of 1994 – 1995. Recently, a second version of her book was published in 2011 that included follow-up interviews with some of the selected children ten years after the study finished. The 12 children selected for her study were put into various categories to facilitate a diverse range of economic, racial, and cultural backgrounds that would allow her to try to make broad observations. Her categories also act as dividers for data tables to help readers make concrete examinations on the similarities and differences between all the children. However, Lareau talks about having a difficult time trying to create her 12 family sample,…
This case falls in one of the categories suggested by Callahan and Callahan (1997) “one where the social worker intervenes unsuccessfully in the family and the child is injured or murdered” (p. 43). These types of media reports portrays social workers as being ineffective at their job and that they have oppressed those beneath them without obtaining justice for the death of an innocent child. Not only that, it speaks to the powerlessness that many readers may feel and offers assurance that the press is on their side, all the while offering them a titillating story written as a serialized morality play (Callahan & Callahan, 1997). As constructed by the media, the pattern of child abuse cases include an unfolding narrative which can be the search for someone to blame, the public inquiry and the finally the publication of the inquiry report (Callahan & Callahan, 1997). It makes the public ask questions about why the child welfare practices and policies fail time after time. As discussed during class, these issues are seen a social problem that has been influenced by the concepts of responsibility. The media constructs an image and only presents materials supporting that construct. In this case, the media emphasis the blame on the government and foster parents and demands the search for those held…
Introduction In the book America, by E.R. Frank, presents a personal narrative of a man’s journey through the foster care system, and how it affected his mental health. The author’s major premise is to highlight the disparities in the foster care system and how those disparities affect the children’s mental health and future outcomes. The author’s point of view is to offer sympathy and empathy to the families involved and offer opportunities for advocacy and awareness. The author’s point of view is transferred into the content of the book to contribute to further learning and advocacy for change.…
Sure, some may include major benefits to the foster children, but in the long run, the child isn’t benefitted. Just like the parent requirements, most government reforms have nothing to do with preventing abuse happening within the home. One reform made stated, “Foster children under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 for free school meals without the submission of a household school meal application.” This reform may help foster children have a healthy, free meal, but it won’t serve them justice. But, it isn’t entirely the government’s fault to not be preventing mistreatment of foster children. Instead, it’s the organizations who the foster child belongs…
Nathan Boyd Chapter 5 1. Since most people care about their children, they will often over exaggerate or repress the truth to their kids about a certain threat to protect their children. 2. When a parent does not know how to deal with a child because the parent is still young and does not know what to do, they will often rely on an expert or a wiser person’s opinion to help them deal with certain issues. With all of the risks and dangers of not taking care or treating a baby correctly, many parents are afraid and the parent book market exploits this fear to make money on it.…
We began by speaking with Mrs. Jessie Cotton, a foster parent. Her nine years as a foster parent afford her the ability to speak to this issue. Roman Rys, a former foster youth, was interviewed about his experiences going from foster care to independence. Finally, we spoke with Mrs. Angel Roberts and Crystal Kellerman, who work at Beaufort County’s Department of Social Services (DSS). Both women are in the foster care division.…
They wouldn’t experience trauma and neglect. In addition, the foster home parents shouldn’t be treating their foster children like abandoned animals. According to the article, “The Horror Stories These Former Foster Care Kids Have Sound Too Bad To Be True. But They're Not,” the victim, James, had told the author how his foster father did despicable things to James when he hung out with a kid of a different colored tone. The article reads, “...a racist foster father who saw him hanging out with a black friend, he beat James, drug him outside, clasped a dog collar around my neck, and cuffed his hand to a Confederate flag rail in front of the doghouse,” (Simon, 2014). This illustrates how a foster father was aggressive with James when he hung out with a friend that was different colored tone. His foster father dragged him outside and before he drug him outside, he beat him up. In words, that is physical abuse. Physical abuse isn’t accepted and the foster father should have known better than to beat James up just by the simple fact that he hung out with a black friend. Simon had written how he proceeded to put a dog collar around his neck. The foster father can’t treat human beings like animals and can’t be educating them like animals. She also wrote how he cuffed his hand on a confederate and told him vile words about James’ friend. The background check is obviously needed and they need to certificate the foster parents to see that they have been checked and aren’t related to any type of abuse in the past. Moreover, the foster home parents shouldn’t be surprised when their foster child comes out differently than the rest of the kids. The article, “The Horror Stories These Former Foster Care Kids Have Sound Too Bad To Be True. But They're Not,” also included a story that was about Marciella, who came out as a lesbian to her…
When it comes to raising a child, families fall into the category of either emphasizing concerted cultivation or accomplishment of natural growth. In Annette Lareau’s first chapter of, “Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life,” she talks a bit about the different families she researched and the various methods the parents are categorizing in about raising their child. Through her observations of these families, she noticed middle-class families practice a particular parenting style known as concerted cultivation, where the parents believe they must promote the growth and development of their child’s abilities and skills. These types of parents often push their kids to join a variety of activities and are very active in their child’s…
“Reports on employment suggest that on average only one-third to one-half of youth out of substitute care are employed, but they do not identify full time vs. part time employment.” (3) With that being said, Foster youth do not earn enough to rake them out of poverty. “On average, former foster care earned $8000 compared to a national average of $18,300.” (3) Financial independence is often unattainable for forth kids. Some challenge facing employment assistance programs for foster youth is the availability of alternative sources of employment services. A large majority of youth receiving several types of employment assistance.…
Therefore, they have to make do with what they are given. If more people could open their homes and hearts to these children, the number of mistreated kids would drastically decrease. Do you know who can be a foster parent? Based off of the national requirements, anyone over the age 21, in good health, and with proper accommodations can become a foster parent. Now does that sound like anyone you know?…
These flaws allow room for improvement. The first step to fixing these flaws is to strengthen families of origin. Yes it is important to supply a child with better circumstances when needed but it would be extremely influential to fix this problem at its roots. More funding from the government should be put towards prevention instead of supporting the problems by creating an automatic solution. Another possible step to fix the flaws in our system is to support case workers. Another priority is the support, development, and nurturing of case workers who serve in the foster care system. These low paid and underappreciated employees are the caretakers for the future generations of our country. A third possible step to fix these flaws would be to educate the public. Very few people are aware of the specifics in our foster care system. Every day children suffer from neglect and the continued abuse that can occur in foster care. If the public were better educated perhaps there would be a higher concern for this issue with the intents to better our…
What really surprised me was the continued neglect of these children. It just seems like such a foreign concept to me to continually neglect children. Now it appears to be an easy concept, if a child is neglected, he/she needs more attention and care. I do realize that this is often hard in situations such as children in the foster care system, so how do we give these children the right amount of attention with limited resources?…
Many people are misinformed when it comes to foster care and its issues and successes. To be able to understand foster care one must be able to understand the process. It begins with the child’s biological parents. A child can be withdrawn for abuse or neglect, or the child can have a minor misdemeanor(s) against them and can be placed in foster care rather than juvenile detention. A call by the Child Welfare Services is then made to the foster families in the counties and surrounding counties. Then call includes the child’s age, sex and, sometimes the reasoning of withdrawal. The parents then say whether or not they will take the child(ren) into their home. If yes, the child is moved to the home until further notice if no, the calls continue. So, are there not just racial but age and gender bias in the foster care system?…
Children usually end up having foster parents when the biological parents can no longer care for their children, and the government or a social worker will take them away from their parents and give them a better home. Many children end up in a foster homes because of abusive parents or irresponsible parents. “American children who were in, entering or exiting foster care grew from 399,546 in 2003 to 520,000 in 2012” (Rash 1A-9A). Foster care can be another opportunity at a healthier life for children. A foster parent can change a child’s life by giving education, food, love, care, and a home. The Walls children would have had a better life if they were taken away from their parents and given foster parents because they needed responsible parents to care for them and love them. However foster care could have been a temporary option for the Walls Children. As soon as the parents realized their children missing, and the parents wanted to improve, the children could have had a second chance with their parents. However the children would have the supervision of a social…
Unfortunately, abuse in foster care may not be the only challenge these children face but those who age out of the system also face other challenges such as likelihood of ending up homeless. Our foster care system needs enormous mounts of repair in order to truly protect foster children from further…