Discovering the roots, stigma surrounding American foster care

In the 1930s, child welfare reformers bolstered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal looked to reform their methods through the support of loving households and temporary families.

In the 1930s, child welfare reformers bolstered by Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal looked to reform their methods through the support of loving households and temporary families.

Now, this idealistic vision of foster care has come into question. Changing perceptions of orphans reflect fluctuating societal attitudes about caring for children who cannot take care of themselves. Catherine Rymph, an associate professor of history at MU, has written a book examining the modern history of foster care in the United States and the stigma associated with the system.

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