When it comes to influencing the growth and psychological well-being of the children in their care, foster parents play a critical role. They face various difficulties, all of which decrease their ability to care for the child in multiple contexts. Since every child’s development is unique, each person’s foster care experiences will differ due to the circumstances in which they will be placed. It makes it difficult for parents to maintain a positive child growth environment while causing adverse effects on the child’s psychological development, among other issues. It affects the childhood experience because of climate change.
One of the issues that foster parents will have to contend with is the wide range of parenting styles, environments, and circumstances that they are exposed to. Appalachian parents’ concerns are well-illustrated in Wendy Welch’s book Fall or Fly, which provides a context-rich and comprehensive description of the challenges they face while caring for their children. When reunification efforts with their biological family fail, these children are placed in the care of foster parents who are willing to adopt them if necessary. It significantly reduces the trauma, stress, and uncertainty associated with long-term stays in the system (Welch, 2018, p. 143). Since some tension and the process have been simplified, the foster care system can be less traumatic for children in this type of placement. Children are placed in foster care for a variety of reasons. Because their basic needs have not been met, they frequently cannot form healthy relationships. These children are placed in the care of foster parents and other professionals who work tirelessly to help them rebuild their lives. It can be a long-term solution for some children who require stability and permanence through adoption.
Managing behavioral issues and psychological development necessitates dealing with the lengthy processes and transitions children must undergo to adapt to new environments with age considerations in mind. Parents experience stress and difficulty as a result of this. As a result, parents may encounter difficulties dealing with children who have had negative experiences in the past. Children may throw tantrums, refuse to express themselves verbally, consider suicide, and leave their current environment. It can be challenging to deal with someone engaging in harmful or destructive behavior. In addition, parents will have to learn new approaches to communicating with and resolving conflicts with their kids. The parents will have a difficult time deciding on methods and resources. In Fall or Fly, foster parents face particular challenges. Appalachia’s Strangely Optimistic Story of Adoption and Foster Care. As a form of self-defense, the kids are combative and even manipulative. As a result, they have not had the opportunity to learn basic family skills such as hygiene and household chores that parents take for granted (Welch, 2018, p. 141). Foster parents sign up for various reasons, the most common of which is altruism. A third group does it because of the most heinous of motives: government-funded child care. Accepting the challenge of criticizing any foster family other than those who engage in the most egregious abuses of the system.
Another problem foster parents must also deal with is Trauma-related issues. Parents must demonstrate their love and support for their children. The children’s various traumas and diverse upbringings make this an uphill battle. When caring for children who have been traumatized in some way, foster parents face challenges that the author of Fall or Fly. The Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Appalachia discusses. Because of their impressionable nature, three-year-olds are in high demand. There are many reasons why birth mothers in Appalachia choose their relatives to raise their children, including drug abuse, a debilitating illness, the need for education, and the refusal of current boyfriends to raise another man’s child (Welch, 2018, p. 165). Regardless of whether or not a child admits it, every child in the system wants to be adopted. Most adoptees long to be reunited with their biological parents, no matter how mistreated they were by them.
Adoptive parents face several difficulties. Those interested in adopting should access high-quality training or education support and resources from professionals. If you’re going to adopt a child from the foster care system, you’ll need a network of people who will back you up. Findings like these show that more research and better legislation are necessary to address this issue. The best practices for children and their families must be the foundation of our services. A wide range of techniques is required, from psychological and behavioral development to traumatic events. As a result of this emphasis, foster care becomes more appealing for potential parents in Fall or Fly, the author’s book. These issues can be addressed using concurrent planning. As a result of unsuccessful efforts to reunite children with their birth families, they are placed with foster parents willing to adopt them (Welch, 2018, p. 172). It is possible to reduce acute trauma, stress, and uncertainty by putting someone in this situation. It is less traumatic for these children because of the more precise nature of the procedure. There are various reasons why children are taken into the care of foster families. They haven’t met their basic needs or established healthy relationships. After their foundation is shattered, foster parents and other professionals must assist them in rebuilding their lives. Therefore, long-term stability is provided to a child who has been adopted.
Reference
Welch, W. (2018). Fall or Fly: The Strangely hopeful story of foster care and adoption in Appalachia. Ohio University Press.