Foster Care and Its Implications

Although foster care and foster homes were established to answer the need and right of every child to receive the care, love, and support of a family, foster care has resulted in adverse outcomes faced by the children. Since the 19th century, federal governments and social care movements have taken responsibility for homeless children and those without adequate family care and support for basic needs such as shelter and education. The foster care movement and legal act have seen many children from weeks old to the age of 21 receive foster care before being given for adoption or can fend for themselves. However, these foster care, both in the form of foster parents or foster homes, have been attributed to adverse impacts on the children who are wrongly associated with poor mental health, social, behavioral, and academic development, and a high risk of delinquency. Additionally, it is critical to note that the children may already experience trauma and feelings of confusion, neglect, and fear after being removed from their parents' inadequate care. Thus, the risk of further trauma from unstable foster care environments must be addressed to ensure better outcomes for these children. In this paper, research to determine the possibility of professional and stable foster care is studied while determining the implications and shortcomings of current foster care according to a literature review. Therefore, it is critical to determine the current outcomes of a child in foster care and if more stable environments for the children should be created.  

Additionally, to determine the methodology used to ascertain and answer the thesis, clear research questions are used to look into the full implications of foster care. First, the paper looks to answer the general outcomes for children in foster homes. More so, more focus is given to determining the challenges in mental health children face and the resulting outcomes for foster children's psychological capacity. Another major outcome that needs to be addressed is the child's social, behavioural, and academic development while in foster care. This study on the social implications of the child also includes the long-term attachment outcomes. Additionally, a study to ascertain the impact of the foster care environment on the foster child's risk of delinquency is determined. Finally, having looked at the various possible outcomes and the risk for each child to face adverse implications according to the stated categories, the study determines the best approaches to answer the state of foster care and their environment and reduce the adverse outcomes received by children. Therefore, the major study question determines various risks and unfortunate implications for foster children and the approaches to resolve them. 

Literature Review

A review of the literature to determine the possible effects and current implications of foster care for children is critical for the study. The future of foster children and the protection of this vulnerable population has been a major study interest for the social care academic community. However, not many studies have looked to determine the combined challenges to the child's development, despite many references to societal problems that have long been present such as substance abuse, family and community violence, racial disparities, and unequal education (Chipungu & Bent-Goodley, 2004). In this case, these combined challenges are sourced from several extents, such as child education, mental health, delinquent and criminal behaviour, and long-term attachment outcomes. Other challenges mainly include the short-term problems faced in foster care, such as high staff turnover and the challenges in foster families and homes. Until recently, much literature has been developed to determine the outcomes for foster children and the factors influencing their development. More so, literature also determines the factors resulting in these outcomes. Thus, a study of such literature is critical since the major aim of foster care is to provide security and ensure the welfare of this fragile population. 

First, one major consideration in reviewing the literature on foster care implications is the determination of the child's past environment and existing trauma which foster care must be careful about. Bruskas (2008) illustrates the vulnerability of children who are introduced to foster homes and their experience even after maturing from a foster home. Many children have preexisting histories of abuse, neglect, and other forms of maltreatment that often lead to child trauma. In this case, most children who find themselves under foster care must have experienced a degree of maltreatment since legal processes make substantial efforts to unify parents and their children (Gupta-Kagan, 2020). Other sources of trauma include the child's removal from the familiarity of parents or their custodians before receiving federal custody. These sources of trauma lead to poor development, low educational outcomes, and more mental health problems. Children who mature from foster care homes often have these recurring problems. These challenges often lead to difficult transitions from their foster care systems to managing their own financial and social stability after they turn 18. In many cases, young adults from foster care find it difficult to keep a job and cannot remain productive. Therefore, children in foster homes face more vulnerability that needs more attention to ensure better outcomes after foster care. 

Systematic studies have been common in determining the outcomes of children from foster care, considering the large expenses used for their welfare and their large number. Gypen et al. (2017) compare several quantitative studies on the difference between foster children and children in family care. Unfortunately, the study results are troublesome in showing the struggle of children in almost all areas, such as education, criminal involvement, and mental and physical health. Still, Gypen et al. (2017) look to find an answer to the problem by determining the major factors influencing better outcomes. In this case, the major factors that help children's outcomes include better establishment for children in their education and the presence of mentors in foster care placements and homes. Therefore, for a long time, foster care has fallen short in its service to children in foster homes compared to those in family care. 

Hence, more studies have determined the educational implications of foster children. For example, Brännström et al. (2020) studied the factors leading to the lack of equal educational results for foster children to those under parental care. While educational disparities have been highlighted as a major result for children under foster care, few studies have determined the reasons and factors influencing this outcome. The study, done in Sweden, determines the gap in educational achievement from a cohort of over 13,000 people, of which a small segment of the cohort has experienced foster care. In this case, the results portrayed a major factor contributing to educational outcome inequality: lower cognitive ability. Cognitive ability may also be influenced by child development and mental health status. More so, educational outcomes can be easily reformed by setting policies that promote each child's intellectual and cognitive growth as early as possible (Brännström et al., 2020). Therefore, a major factor in lower educational outcomes includes low cognitive development. 

Other factors based on the child's environment also affect lower educational performance. Berlin et al. (2019) answer the question of the influence of foster parents' educational level to foster children's educational attainment and outcome. Where children with more learned and educated parents are more inclined to perform better in school, this predictor pattern must be determined for foster parents and children. Although the study determines a link between the educational level attained by a foster parent and that of a foster child, it is, however, affected by the gender of the foster child. In this case, male foster children are more adversely affected by the low educational level of their foster parents. However, after they turn a mature age, female foster children and foster home alumni become more associated with lower educational levels. Other factors that lead to lower educational performance include lower caregiver involvement and lack of permanence from one foster care placement to another. Since federal agencies review the placement of foster care after certain periods, children can be moved to new foster homes if the federal agencies see it fit. Thus, the lack of permanence in one foster home decreases the child's motivation to learn (Berlin et al., 2019). Other factors attributed to lower educational performance include lower concentration from the children, bullying, and the fear of stigmatization, which adversely affects them despite the high reception from the children for the need for education (Van Holen et al., 2021). Therefore, the lower educational performance of foster children can be corrected through more caregiver involvement and ensuring more permanence and adequacy in foster homes. 

Also, other major foster care outcomes that have been of great concern include children's development according to their mental, psychological, behavioural, and cognitive development. Lawrence, Carlson & Egeland (2006) illustrate the role of foster care in influencing child development, both depending on the environment which the child is from before introduction to a foster home and the permanence of a child's stay in a single home. According to this study, three categories were formed from a cohort of 189 children, defining three groups of children with different development characteristics. These include children who have experienced out-of-home care, those who experience forms of maltreatment and still live with their abusive parents, and those who have not experienced any of the first two categories, despite coming from the same socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds. In this case, children who have experienced foster care are more likely to develop behavioural problems and mental health challenges compared to the other two categories. In addition, children in unfamiliar foster homes face more mental health issues than those in familiar homes (Carlson & Egeland, 2006). A major difference in comparison between children facing maltreatment and those placed in unfamiliar homes includes the internalization of problems which happens more often for the latter group. Therefore, children's mental, behavioural and psychological development is of critical concern for children under foster care compared to other environments and settings. 

 Hence, a more intricate study is needed to determine the mental health, behavioural and social implications for children under foster care. For example, Hambrick, Oppenheim-Weller & Taussig (2016) determine the possible interventions for foster children's challenging and complex mental health challenges. In this case, most children introduced into foster care undergo some form of child abuse. More so, over 70% of children under foster care have experienced over five adverse experiences, including community and domestic violence, substance and alcohol abuse, neglect, and other forms of maltreatment (Hambrick, Oppenheim-Weller & Taussig, 2016). Therefore, these children are prone to feelings of confusion, anxiety, and fear, while suffering from posttraumatic stress and ADHD. These mental disorders also contribute highly to influencing disruptive behaviour disorders. Therefore, despite the complexity and difficulty of intervention, Hambrick, Oppenheim-Weller & Taussig (2016) determine mental health interventions. These interventions include child-parent therapy, attachment and behavioural measures, healthy future intervention and influence, trauma-related cognitive behavioural therapy, mentors, and foster caregiver training. More so, foster home environments are critical to ensure the children's mental health development or aggravation. In this scenario, a major problem includes the lack of mental health support. Thus, despite the problematic mental health challenges foster children face, foster care policies can ensure better strategies for helping children's mental health development, which is fundamental for other forms of development. 

As described, foster children who face mental health problems often face behavioural and social challenges. Unfortunately, children's mental health problems remain unaddressed, with more adverse implications of foster parents blaming the children for the wrong behaviours and social deficiencies instead of intervening for them (Sheppard, 2022). Some studies have shown the linkage between mental health problems and behavioural and social disorders. For example, Rousseau (2021) illustrates the susceptibility of foster children to attracting long-term psychiatric disorders such as depression, behaviour disorders, antisocial personality disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). These psychiatric disorders are associated with the lack of either external attachment, involvement, or commitment from the social theory of bonding. Without them, children are inclined to be more defiant, resentful, and lack good morals (Rousseau, 2021). Additionally, although foster homes aren't directly responsible for delinquency, some factors around foster care help develop behavioural disorders, such as the lack of permanence for foster children in single placements. Another critical note to consider is foster children's lack of social and relational development outcomes. Miranda, Molla & Tadros (2019) explain the outcomes for foster children lacking attachment capabilities due to trauma faced through foster care, which limits their relational functioning even up to marriage. Therefore, foster children face critical challenges that must be addressed to ensure healthy behavioural and social growth. 

Methodology

Having described the various challenges that foster children face through their time in these homes and under foster parents, the methodology used in the study focuses on qualitative research to determine foster care alumni's experiences and implications of foster care even after maturing from it. In this case, a qualitative study is fitting to determine the various experiences and understand the possible ways by which the adverse effects can be limited on a more technical basis (Santos & Albuquerque, 2018). The quantitative study will target alumni adults from foster care systems who have stayed in long-term care. The study will determine the experiences and outcomes of the participants during their time in the foster care system to their transition when they matured up to fend for themselves. The instruments used to determine this will be questionnaires that will consist of questions such as the educational experience faced during foster care and after foster care, the mental health challenges and experiences faced during and after foster care, the social and behavioural limitations faced, the current outcomes and results from the foster system, and what forms of additional support each alumni thinks would have helped during their time in foster care. Therefore, from the above questions, foster care's major adverse and consistent implications can be determined, together with their best intervention methods as seen from past literature. 

Conclusion

Foster children undergo trying conditions when introduced to foster care, with consequent adverse implications on various aspects of their lives. Children face setbacks in their development due to the traumatic situations before and during foster care. Most children introduced to foster care have undergone adverse maltreatment experiences, such as abuse and neglect. These experiences develop mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, confusion, and more. Furthermore, these conditions sprout further while in foster homes due to the lack of addressing them and some of the environments the foster care system provides. A major factor illustrated in foster care that facilitates these challenging outcomes in foster children includes multiple placements and the lack of permanence in foster homes for children. The lack of permanence affects a child's educational motivation, lowering academic performance. Also, continual mental frustrations brood social and behavioural disorders such as antisocial personalities and oppositional defiant disorder. However, despite these many challenges that determine adverse implications and outcomes for foster children, solutions exist to better foster care initiatives. Therefore, foster care systems must ensure that caregivers and foster parents are careful and give more attention to foster children if better results in the system should be presented.  

 References

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Brännström, L., Forsman, H., Vinnerljung, B., & Almquist, Y. B. (2020). Inequalities in educational outcomes in individuals with a childhood experience of out-of-home care: What are driving the differences? Plus one, 15(4), e0232061.

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