pktechgirlbackup (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
pktechgirlbackup) wrote2011-01-11 05:02 pm
pktechgirlbackup) wrote2011-01-11 05:02 pm
Do you sell happy childhoods in bulk?
Stevie is a documentary by an ex-Big Brother about his ex-Little Brother, who has since grown up into a violent criminal. The documentary isn't very good, but it got me thinking- foster care is set up to fail. By the time a parent fails badly enough to have their kids taken away, it takes a near-perfect loving foster family to have a chance to right the kid. And that's ignoring the time gap between "irredeemable abuse happens" and "irredeemable abuse proven and children removed." There are some very good foster families out there who do incredibly things, but there aren't enough, and they're at risk of burning out. That any of the kids turn out okay is more a testimony to the incredible durability of children than anything we do right.
Nor can we fix this with preemptive foster placement. Giving the government the power to decide you're probably going to be a crappy parent so we'll just redistribute your kids now is unacceptable. There's anecdotes of them trying it in the UK to buff up their adoption stats, and it's terrifying. But we have to accept that we're sacrificing certain children in order to maintain that ideal.
For once, I think we can solve this problem with money. I'm prepared to declare caring for 3 special needs children (and if they're in foster care, they're probably special needs) a full time job and pay for it as such. In return, I expect people who are demonstrated awesome at caring for these kids. I also want to give the kids advocates in schools, tutoring, extracurriculars, and some stability in school. I want support systems and baby sitting in place (this could just mean more money, if parents are able to find special needs babysitters are there own) So basically, Treehouse, except for once I think the fact that this is being done by private charity rather than included in the government system is a travesty. Even if more money attracted only mediocre parents, it would relieve pressure on the good ones, lessening burnout.
I wasn't aware of this, but apparently some if not all states are smart enough enough to pay people who adopt special needs kids (where special needs is basically defined as anything other than a healthy white infant) and give them free medicaid for life (or at least through age 18?). This is a good idea. There are probably lots of people who would love a special needs child but can't afford to take care of them. And if someone is adopting a kid for the stipend, then they're a crappy parent who shouldn't get a kid under any circumstances and I hope we're good enough to catch that. My only problem with this system is that medicaid sucks and I assume the stipend isn't big enough.
Nor can we fix this with preemptive foster placement. Giving the government the power to decide you're probably going to be a crappy parent so we'll just redistribute your kids now is unacceptable. There's anecdotes of them trying it in the UK to buff up their adoption stats, and it's terrifying. But we have to accept that we're sacrificing certain children in order to maintain that ideal.
For once, I think we can solve this problem with money. I'm prepared to declare caring for 3 special needs children (and if they're in foster care, they're probably special needs) a full time job and pay for it as such. In return, I expect people who are demonstrated awesome at caring for these kids. I also want to give the kids advocates in schools, tutoring, extracurriculars, and some stability in school. I want support systems and baby sitting in place (this could just mean more money, if parents are able to find special needs babysitters are there own) So basically, Treehouse, except for once I think the fact that this is being done by private charity rather than included in the government system is a travesty. Even if more money attracted only mediocre parents, it would relieve pressure on the good ones, lessening burnout.
I wasn't aware of this, but apparently some if not all states are smart enough enough to pay people who adopt special needs kids (where special needs is basically defined as anything other than a healthy white infant) and give them free medicaid for life (or at least through age 18?). This is a good idea. There are probably lots of people who would love a special needs child but can't afford to take care of them. And if someone is adopting a kid for the stipend, then they're a crappy parent who shouldn't get a kid under any circumstances and I hope we're good enough to catch that. My only problem with this system is that medicaid sucks and I assume the stipend isn't big enough.
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How the hell do we let these kids get to that point?
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