Author: Jay (Page 3 of 7)

My research question was “How does the foster care system affect mental illness rates in children ” and that was an interesting question to me because I had friends that were in groups homes and in shelters and they had to go through traumatic things while in that environment and they suffered with mental illness as well. Before I used to think it only affected a small number of people but now I know that it affects a lot of people and the long term effects are severe.  I learned that six hundred and seventy two thousand children are in the foster care system in the United States Of America. Children deserve homes and a place to call home so they can be loved and catered for. I didn’t realize how much parents had a big impact on a child’s life as well. I thought they were a part of a child’s life but they made up for it. Like I mentioned before, when parents are absent from a child’s life it can cause anxiety and depression because children look to their parents for emotional support, security and basic necessities. Even with the best of intentions the foster care system may not always be the best option and may even make matters worse by causing multiple placements and relationship disruptions which makes it even harder for the children to go about their lives as normal. A child’s mental health can be greatly impacted by the absence of their parents. What I learned so far is very important to my day to day life. I have always received love, but there are children in group homes who do not receive the proper amount of affection. These kids need to receive the love they deserve because it’s really unfair. Most of the country kids in shelters need to change as I mentioned before.I was surprised by the number of kids who are in group-homes and the rates are rising annually. I didn’t know that shelters caused major depression in children. I thought they were simply waiting to get chosen by a family.  The people that need to know about the rates in mental illness rates in children is the people that have the sufficient and necessary funding to support the children and  the people looking to adopt or foster child. They have the ability to alleviate their suffering, give them a sense of worth, and lower the rates while doing so.

So far I think it’s going good. I have most of the components for my essay. All I have to do is complete my conclusion and redo my introduction because I switched my topic. Other than that I am on the right track. Once I’m done I will fix any errors or mistakes I have on my paper. I’m proud that I’m able to understand it and get it complete because to tell the truth I wasn’t that confident in this assignment because it looked challenging but now i understand it and able to do it.

https://www.adopt.org/adoption-resources/what-is-foster-care

In the article  “Understanding  The Mental Health Risks For Children In Foster Care” displays the how children lives are unpredictable and full of twists and surprises. Nothing is planned out of them and everything happens without even knowing. As the children attempt to deal with the reasons why they are unable to remain with their biological family, they must battle the instability that comes with moving from family to family. According to the Author “almost 50% of children in foster care ages 2 to 14 were diagnosed with a clinically significant mental health issues”. Five percent of Adults that were in the foster care system when they were adolescents suffer from PTSD from the trauma that occurred when they were in group homes or going from home to home looking for stability. Anxiety and depression are two of the many risk factors that affect kids when it comes to their mental health. Children who experience unstable family dynamics, frequent changes in their surroundings, and exposure to trauma are more likely to develop mental illnesses as well. The foster care system lack instability. This instability can cause feelings of loss, abandonment, and insecurity, which can impede the formation of important emotional attachments and possibly result in long-term problems with relationships and mental health. Providing a safe and supportive environment for these kids requires acknowledging and resolving these issues. The article recognizes that being in a group setting causes the rates of mental health illness to soar.

In the third source “Understanding The Mental Health Risks For Children In Foster Care” by Julia Marie Hogan is a informative article that talks about the prevalence of mental health challenges in foster care children and the risk factors for kids in foster care. They explain how the foster care system brings trauma to a child and and are more subsequent to abuse, substance abuse and experiencing homelessness. If I could say anything to the author, it would be that the foster care system is failing children overall and that she did a great job of communicating the message that children need to be handled better and given more attention.