The Foster Care System: Explained by a Foster Sister
What comes to mind when you think of human trafficking? Maybe you think of sex trafficking or labor trafficking. Or perhaps you think of young girls working in a factory or being stolen from their families or sold by their families to work in a brothel. But do you think of foster children? Some foster children experience abuse so severe that it can be categorized as human trafficking. Children within the foster care system are not working in factories or brothels, but many have experienced severe sexual, physical abuse, or sexual exploitation.
I decided to become a social worker a few years ago, when I heard the story of a foster child who had been trafficked. Hearing their story was the first time that I understood the reality of child human trafficking. I was not told the polished version. This individual did not appear in the foster care system all nice and ready to be adopted. This individual had endured abuse and coercion as a child. They were taken advantage of, leading to severe abuse and neglect. Because of this, the individual was placed in the foster care system.
A Brief Explanation of the System
A child is placed in the foster care system because of parental abuse and neglect. When a child is removed from his or her parents, social workers and lawyers have to prove that the child’s parents are unfit to raise them. The team of social workers go to court and present their case to the judge. Then, the judge decides if the child will stay in foster care or if they will be reunified with their parents. Throughout the period of time that the child is in foster care, the social workers and lawyers periodically present an update of findings on the case.
My experience as a Foster Sister
It was not until a couple of years ago when I became involved in the system and became a foster sister (to a foster child) that I began to understand the resilience of foster children. Since I have been involved with the foster care system, I have been involved in the lives of over 15 children. Two children have been placed with my family, while the other children have been placed in the homes of other foster families. Some of the children I knew only for a short while, while others I have known for years. Some of the children I’ve known have first been placed in emergency care until a more permanent placement could be found, usually just a few days later.
During this time “hot-bedding” can also occur. This means that the child is moved from one home to another on a daily basis. This happens because there are not enough foster homes to meet the demand, or social workers cannot find the right fit between the child and foster home. Each child, biological family, and foster home situation is unique and must be treated as such.
How You Can Help in the Foster Care System
Often, people hear of a serious issue like the foster care system, but they do not know how to help. Sometimes the issue is so large that it sounds overwhelming. But if you want to help fight human trafficking, becoming involved in the foster care system is one way you can do that in your own community!
Within the foster care system there are several ways to support children and families. If you have the ability to do so, you could become a foster parent yourself. The foster care system is in need of qualified foster homes, and in some areas there is even a shortage of homes. As a foster family, you have the role of providing a safe and nurturing home for a child as they transition from the care of their biological family into family reunification or adoption.
Another way to help foster children is to become a respite foster parent. A respite foster parent takes foster children for a short amount of time in order to give foster parents time off. For example, if a foster parent is going away for the weekend, they can apply to leave the foster children at a respite home.
As an advocate, another way to support children is to become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer. CASA volunteers “advocate on behalf of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Their best-interest advocacy helps ensure that children are safe, have a permanent home and have the opportunity to thrive.” When CASA volunteers are appointed by a judge, they work with the child and foster parent to best understand the needs of the child. They work to understand the case and the progress that the child has made while in foster care.
There are many different ways to advocate for and support foster children and families. If you have a passion for helping this population, or for fighting human trafficking, don’t be afraid to work with children in the foster care system!
About the Author
Megan Robbins is a recent college graduate. She received her bachelor's degree in social work and she hopes to utilize her skills to serve others. When she is not a social worker, Megan loves to be creative through dancing and painting.