I entered foster care in Los Angeles when I was five years old. I spent the majority of my time in care with a foster parent whose adopted daughter was like a little sister to me. In the five years I lived with them, many other foster children came and went, but this foster sister was always there. We did everything together at home, but that wasn’t so easy when we left the house.
When the family went on vacation, I was not allowed to go with them because of foster care agency restrictions. The agency’s rules also meant I couldn’t go to sleepovers or participate in after-school activities, making it hard for me to make and maintain friendships. In addition to regulating my daily life, these restrictions affected my relationship with my birth family. When my favorite uncle passed away, I wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral. The restrictions were a constant reminder that I didn’t belong—I wasn’t a full member of my birth family or my foster family.
The child welfare system has the responsibility to protect children in foster care, but being in foster care often involves missing out on important parts of being a kid. Certain policies and practices aimed at safety for young people can prevent youth from participating in activities that are important to teens, from sports and music to homecoming and prom. Recent federal legislation has tried to remedy that problem. The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act of 2014 (The Strengthening Families Act), includes requirements designed to help promote “normalcy” for young people in foster care, meaning the opportunity to participate in age- and developmentally-appropriate activities and experiences.
- See more at: http://www.childtrends.org/why...sthash.3P6mrkDB.dpuf
[For more of this story go to http://www.childtrends.org/why...outh-in-foster-care/]
Comments (0)