It's the quality that counts in foster care
WELFARE agencies should stop the practice of heaping awards onfoster carers who have taken 50 or 100 children over the years, and instead celebrate those who have a small number of settled kids.
The system of praising the busiest foster carers sets them up for bragging rights and creates a situation where having more is seen as better than having a successful few.
Pat Walker, a founding member of the Foster Care Association in NSW, admits to having had more than a few children in her care, but is most proud of her achievement in raising Ben.
He was just months old when he arrived and is now in his 20s.
"To be honest, the people who brag about having 100, or more, they've always left me cold," said Ms Walker, herself a foster child from the age of eight. "They go on about it, as if it's something to have a revolving door."
Note: This is a point I've been trying to get across to these idiots for a while now. This is the first time I've actually come across an article about it.
I agree we need to limit the amount of children in the one home. We also need to stop the movement of these children. I know many carers who sometimes have 6, 7 or 8 children at one time. But that seems to be ok with the department as they reward these carers with big cars and extensions to their homes. Pat is right..the popular carers with the department are the ones who have the motel sign on the door that reads always open and never full.
ReplyDelete