Most people are familiar with the more typical choices that are regularly presented to single women struggling with an unexpected pregnancy, but temporary, voluntary foster care is a less well-known option. It’s not the same as adoption, and it’s not often the result of neglect or abuse.
You can have a lot of control over where your child lives and what they do when they’re away from you, or you can have less control if that’s what you want. Depending on what you select and what is ideal for your current circumstances, you can have frequent, lengthy-time with your child or have minimal access.
If you want to be able to raise your child and be his or her permanent mother, but your current position is not suitable for doing so, temporary, voluntary foster care may be the best option for you. You are still the legal parent, and you have a say in how your child makes decisions on a daily basis. It’s just a temporary guardianship change, so your child won’t be living with you for a while!
Foster Care for Children
Safe Families for Children
Safe Families is a non-profit organization that provides foster care for children in families who are dealing with a crisis that makes it difficult for the parents to provide for and care for their children. The usual length of time a child spends in this programme is about six weeks, although you can enrol your child for as little as one day.
Any family interested in participating in this programme, as well as possible housing children, must undergo a thorough background check. It is important that you understand that this programme is not controlled by the government, despite the fact that it operates in a similar manner.
This does, however, make the process of regaining custody of the child much simpler. Also, keep in mind that if your child has been the victim of abuse, they will be ineligible for this care and will have to go through the state foster care system.
State Foster Care
If you are considering placing your child in state-run foster care, contact your local social services agency or child protective services for more information and rules. When your child is placed willingly into the foster care system in your state, you may be requested to pay a portion, if not all, of the costs associated with caring for your child.
It is crucial to note, however, that if you want to get your child back, you may face obstacles in doing so. You must know that your child is now a state ward. This means they will provide certain benefits that you may not be able to supply for them, and they will lose these benefits if you take them back.
Family Foster
You can also send your child to their extended family members such as aunts, uncles, and cousins. You just need important documentation that can be acquired for a nominal fee. Some states, however, will enable you to temporarily place your child with family members with merely a written piece of paper allowing them to seek medical care and enroll your child in school or child care.
If you need to do so, a simple call to your local courthouse should provide you with information on how to begin the process in your state. As a result, this is a common option for families in distress, and you’re really fortunate if your relatives don’t mind taking care of your child for a while!
How Can a Foster Home Affect Your Child?
Foster children are subjected to extreme hardships. The simple act of leaving home is traumatic, but for many youngsters, this is only the beginning. As these children are moved from home to home, many are forced to adjust to changing environments. After a short-term placement, some children are returned to their birth families.
Living in foster care is difficult in any circumstance, and it can have a severe influence on a child’s mental and behavioural health. Children in foster care are frequently relocated around and must contact a variety of people throughout their journey. With instability comes loss, and foster care is full of it, beginning with the child’s removal or separation from their first family.
Children in the system go through a constant ‘starting over process, which can lead to attachment and detachment issues, affecting the child’s capacity to build and sustain healthy relationships. Children in foster care who do not receive adequate support or therapy may have a difficult time absorbing, understanding, and healing from their situation, which can result in physical, mental, and emotional problems that can last into adulthood.
Foster children are among the world’s most vulnerable, so it’s no wonder that the majority of them suffer from mental and behavioural health issues. You’re bound to feel angry, confused, fearful, and distrustful when you’re taken out of your house by a stranger and placed in a new home or congregate environment with more strangers.
Many children in foster care ask the following questions when they are put in a new home: What brings me here? Did I make a mistake? Do my parents no longer love me? How long do I have to stay here?.
Children in foster care have a higher rate of mental health issues and are more likely to have bad long-term health effects. The following are some of the most common mental health issues encountered in foster children:
- Anxiety Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress
- Reactive Attachment
- Depression
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Separation anxiety disorder
Foster care can have a negative impact on a child’s health, but it isn’t all awful. Many children are reunited with their birth parents, and some studies found that foster children who have been in Foster Care have higher adaptive functioning. Adverse childhood experiences can have long-term ramifications, which is why it’s critical to address them as soon as possible.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, it may not always be possible for you to care for children. But before placing your child in foster care, please prepare them for the obstacles that lie ahead! If your child is a newborn, he/she may even forget who you are, when you take them back!
Conclusion
Hear we published all the informnation relatde to Can I Put My Child in Temporary Foster Care? Temporary foster care may even be the best option you can make for your child, if you’re a drug addict, homeless, or a minor parent but you must make sure you understand why and determine which approach is best for you and them.
Whatever you choose, parenting is likely to be the most difficult thing you will ever do. The difference between an irresponsible and a great parent is your capacity to make the best decisions for them, even when it’s difficult.