Preface.
Foster care story is an illustration of the lonely child who lacks the natural love and permanency from the natural parents and families. Foster children encounter social, emotional and legal dilemmas in their quest for reunion with the lost warmth and refuge provided by the families and the permanence. The foster children are curious to know why they are facing these problems (Whiteford, 2010). The video celebrates foster parents, mentors and social workers who have dedicated their time, resources and love to provide the children with foster care that is paramount to them.
The film shows the strong hope of children to overcome the emotional challenges and acquire from stability as a result of foster care. Guardianship and adoption are also recommended options to address foster children issues and provide permanency to the children. Guardianship is lawful and allows the foster children to access financial support. There are currently 500, 0000 children in need of foster care and only 150, 000 families willing to provide foster care. More parents should willingly take up foster children and provide a much-needed love and care.
Hypothetical application
The film outlines the roles played by different stakeholders in foster care as they try to deliver on a common goal of developing a sense of emotional and physical permanency as well as security within the neglected and other unfortunate children. The films futures the children, foster caregivers and foster parents and highlights the commitment and love shown by the players to these children.
The social workers are important in analyzing the data, and current trends in the foster care, and advice the stakeholders accordingly to ensure children in need of foster care do not escalate into manageable levels (Barbell & Freundlich, 2001). Social workers should analyze the challenges such as financial factors, reduced foster families and recruitment of parents and retention of foster parents, the social worker must also ensure the foster families carry out their roles diligently and agency responsiveness.
Foster parent needs be trained and recruited by the agencies to offer specialized care and need to the children. A number of these children in need special care is growing, and the specialists need to be maintained to sustainable numbers (Whiteford, 2010). This specialized care should [replace the institutional placements of children in foster care and better use and implementation of residential treatment.
The professionals need to increase the efficiency, accountability and professionalism in all the foster care providers on child safety, permanence and family and child wellbeing of all government funded welfare institution including foster care. All the standards set out by the government must be complied with by all the welfare institutions.
Reflection.
All social worker must shift their mind and realize that foster care shall guide by various principle. Family care should focus on the whole family and not only the parent or the children focused care as the tradition has been. This will help to cement family spirit and permanence to the entire family members. The needs of the children should take center stage and shape the planning of all the case planning to ensure the child welfare is checked all the times. (Barbell & Freundlich, 2001). Social worker should appreciate service delivery from community-based perspective to allow the children remain in touch with important people in their lives. Foster care must respect the role of the families in the growth of the youths who are past foster care. These youths return to live with their families upon discharge.
Family-focused, and a community-based foster care approach is the basis of responsive foster care. Due to the ever increasing trends in foster care, economic and health effects affecting the families lowers their ability to care for their children in future, community partners will be critical to providing children with care on temporally basis to create permanency with families.
References
Barbell, K., & Freundlich, M. (2001). Foster Care Today.
Whiteford, B. (2010, April 25). Foster Care Stories:A Place To Be [Video file]. Retrieved from 1. video.mpt.tv/video/1477775606/
