This story, "As Arizona Struggles to Fix Foster System, Children Suffer the Consequences" [http://nyti.ms/1GdjcA7], in the 3/24/15 issue of the New York Times, describes challenges in the Arizona foster care system that are not atypical of foster care systems around the nation. It was the subject of the following workshop at the recent Child Health, Education, and Care Summit put on by First 5 California in Sacramento:
Understanding and Addressing Toxic Stress in a Child Welfare Population
Young children involved in the child welfare system are at risk of long-term negative impacts from trauma exposure and toxic stress that can impact their lifelong mental and physical health. Toxic stress refers to chronic, severe stress that is not mitigated by safe, supportive relationships. This session will briefly review current brain science regarding toxic stress and factors that can serve to reduce the negative impacts of exposure. Five guiding principles for addressing the needs of young children exposed to toxic stress will be illustrated, including ways to apply them in different settings, addressing the needs of foster children.
Presenter: Karen Rogers, USC Keck School of Medicine
Co-Presenters: Suzanne Roberts, Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine
and Jennifer Rafeedie, Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine
In my opinion, the shuffling of children and youth from one inadequate or traumatic setting to another, again and again, constitutes child abuse-by-system more damaging even than that perpetrated by the original caregiver.
Shame on us.
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