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Discovery of Abuse or Neglect:
The Child Protective Program is activated by calls to the Florida Abuse Hotline. Over the past two years the number of calls have increased substantially due in part to the mandatory reporting requirements of Act 99-168 (formerly known as the Kayla McKean Act) and increased public awareness.
- Investigation: The act mandates that investigations be done under certain circumstances. Department of Children and Family investigators determine the need for and extent of services for the child who is at risk, abused or neglected. They will also make referrals to law enforcement when appropriate.
- In-Home Services: There are a number of avenues available for child protection including both in-home and out-of-home services. In-home services permit the child to remain in the family setting. Services offered are counseling, day care, substance abuse treatment and parenting classes. These are intended to improve the safety and well being of the child and to prevent re-abuse.
- Out-of-Home Services: Out-of-home services occur when in-home services are either insufficient or inappropriate to protect the safety of the child. The two types of services may be used concurrently. For example, parenting and counseling services may be provided to the family while the child remains in short term foster care. Out-of-home services vary with the needs of the child and the ability of the family to provide a safe environment. They can be listed in broad categories.
- Emergency Shelter removes the child temporarily from an environment that is considered to be imminently unsafe due to either neglect or abuse.
- Short Term Foster Care removes the child from an environment that may be unsafe until services to improve the safety of the family can be completed and assessed.
- Long Term Foster Care maintains the child in a foster care setting over the long term, because conditions in the family did not improve to the point where the child can be safely returned to the family.
- Relative Care places children with relatives, other than the subjects of the investigation, who assumes responsibility for the child.
- Independent Living permits a child to live in a group home or other environment. This option occurs either when the child has “aged” in the system, or the child was of advanced age when removed from parents’ care. Independent living skills training and eventually less supervised living arrangements are provided to such children as a reasonable alternative to foster care.
- Adoption occurs when there is no possibility of returning the child to a safe family environment. At that point, the department may request that the courts terminate the parental rights of the parents and assist in the adoption of the child by a stable family. The state has made provisional assistance for families adopting children with special needs. Special needs include age, minority status, children who have siblings also in need of adoption, or are physically, developmentally, or emotionally handicapped. The state may provide, in these cases, subsidies, medical coverage, court costs, screening, and legal services to terminate the biological parents rights.
How You Can Help and Requirements:
Foster care homes are important for children that need a safe place to live. These homes are only provided temporarily and usually in an urgent situation. Children are often placed in a foster home because they have been removed from their family. Foster parents are then crucial to the welfare of the child, and often work closely with teachers, attorneys, social workers, doctors, and other agency officials. Foster parents are not there to replace the child's family; however, foster children have crucial needs for which a foster parent must provide. These needs are not just food and shelter, but rather, the needs include support, encouragement, reassurance, self-esteem, self-worth, and most importantly, love.
Foster parents provide a ray of hope in a world otherwise shadowed by issues that are dangerous to the child's physical and mental health. Physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, drug problems, alcohol problems, and sexual abuse are just some of the reasons that result in a child being removed from his or her home. Understandably the child often afraid, angry, confused, and heart-broken from the events that led to their removal.
Also, some foster children have special needs, such as emotional, behavioral, physical, or developmental problems. But it is always the case that every child needs a loving home where in he or she can be safe and be on the road to a better life.
Adoption is often a consideration for foster parents. In fact, about two-thirds of the children placed in foster care are later adopted by their foster parents. But the question remains, are you willing to do what it takes to be a foster parent?
There are several requirements that a foster parent must satisfy, and you should be familiar with them before taking on the responsibility of caring for a foster child.
Some problems that a foster parent needs to be able to handle include setting discipline in the home, dealing with bed-wetting, lying, and rebellion. Foster parents need to act as any other parents, but with the added challenge of dealing with a child that has a troubled background and an already inflated fear of rejection. They need to provide a sense of belonging, acceptance, and love; however, these needs are usually met by the result of a small success following an enduring struggle with many early failures. And many times it is the case that after all this effort is put into a relationship with a foster child, the foster parent must be able to let go if the child needs to be relocated or placed back with his or her family.
General requirements
• Requirements vary from the local child placing agency. Here are some basic requirements:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Have a bed and personal area in which a foster child can keep his or her belongings.
- Your home meets local fire, safety, and sanitation standards.
- Be physically and emotionally capable to care for children
- No alcohol or drug abuse problems
-You must pass a criminal background check
- No record of child abuse or neglect
- An income providing for your own family, independent from the foster care reimbursement income.
Financial assistance:
Financial reimbursment will vary, according to the age of the child. It is best to consult with a foster care agency in your area regarding this matter; however, Florida provides a room and board reimbursment for the financial support, and Florida does require proof that your family's needs are currently met prior the additional income.
It isn't for everyone:
Even after every M.A.P.P. classes that are required for foster parenting, there are many situations that will arise for which you have not been prepared. In some cases, foster parents with the best intentions and enthusiasm have found that foster care was too demanding on their household and family. Foster parenting is not for everyone, but the need is there for a child to have a blessing come into his or her life.
Interested?
The trials and challenges of foster parenting are things for which you need to be aware; however, they are incomparable to the rewards and blessing that becoming a foster parent will provide. If you are aware of the difficulties, and still want to be a blessing in a child's life, then foster parenting is for you.
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