Foster Care Problems

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Tammy Woolard

There is a sad reality in America when it comes to how children are treated rather mistreated in the foster care system. Children that are placed in foster care already have strikes against them. The children have either been physically, mentally or sexually abused, they have lost their biological family and been placed with strangers. Shouldn’t the foster homes that they are placed in be the absolute best that it can be? Should the children in foster care have to be mistreated by a person who just wants the checks? The horror stories that you hear about foster children being … Continue reading →

Lifetime Movie about Foster Care airs Saturday

Posted on February 27, 2009 by Pam Connell

Tomorrow night (Saturday February 28), the cable channel Lifetime will air an original movie about the foster care system, and more specifically about the dilemma of one teen, raised in foster care (and sometimes abused there), about to turn 18 and “age out” of the system. The teen’s name is America, which is also the title of the movie. I have written a past blog, detailing how teens in foster care are usually literally turned out on the streets on their 18th birthday. Often still in high school, it is a nearly insurmountable task to pay for an apartment, work, … Continue reading →

Proposed Foster Care Reform in Texas

Posted on February 21, 2007 by

A Texas legislator, who authored the bills passed two years ago to reform the foster care system in the state, says that not enough progress has been made. Those bills authorized increased spending to hire more investigators for child abuse cases. She has now introduced additional legislation to extend foster care rules and regulations. Last year, almost 35,000 children went through the state’s foster care organization and there are 20,000 or so children in the system at any given time. Her bills would improve the care that these children receive. Her legislation, if passed, would mandate that more inspections be … Continue reading →

Foster Care Reform

Posted on February 2, 2007 by

The Texas legislature has apparently become very concerned with recent revelations in regard to huge deficiencies in the state’s ability to oversee foster homes and child care facilities. Outside of Dallas, a six year old child was recently murdered by a very violent teenage member of her foster family. In this incident which was reported in a previous blog, the state’s lax supervision practices were brought to light. A top CPS official was called upon to testify before a legislative committee in a public hearing. The administrator came under intense questioning. He promised the legislators that his agency is working … Continue reading →

Services Provided for Former Foster Children

Posted on January 22, 2007 by

Most people in Texas are aware that there are many children in the foster system that are available for adoption. It is sad to note that many of these children will remain in foster status until they are eighteen years old and released into society. Many of these children will have been moved numerous times. The fortunate segment of foster children will spend all or mostly all of their time in one long term home that provides a loving and caring environment. Unfortunately, many of the children who are moved a lot will be in at least some homes that … Continue reading →

Abusive Foster Homes

Posted on January 13, 2007 by

Last November, Mesa Family Services, a company that licensed and operated foster homes in the Dallas area, lost its permit because two children had died violently in separate incidents in their homes in the last four years. A company called Therapeutic Family Life took over one hundred of their homes. Apparently, there was little improvement in supervision and conditions. A five year old girl has been violently murdered in one of those homes and her foster mother has been arrested. Apparently, her teenaged son, who has been arrested for murder, had been beating the little girl and her siblings. Police … Continue reading →

Disclosure Meeting and “The File” For Adoptive Parents of Foster Children.

Posted on January 23, 2006 by Anna Glendenning

When families adopt an older, special needs or waiting child from the United State Foster Care system they may assume a great deal of testing and evaluations have been done for the child they adopt. The truth is we are dependant on the system and the people who have cared for our child to pursue these evaluations. Many times children have had very little evaluation or identification of medical or mental health issues. In most cases a child’s records and files are considered confidential until the pre adoptive family has been selected. Foster families generally do not have all the … Continue reading →

Speed Dating, Animal Lovers Style

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Angela Shambeda

I know people who aren’t comfortable with adopting pets from shelters. They have good reasons, such as being uncertain about the animal’s background. Some of them even had specific negative experiences, encountering severe behavioral problems that sometimes come with shelter pets. After all, animals sometimes end up in shelters after leaving neglectful or abusive homes, and that leaves a mental mark. I try to reassure my friends in these situations, tell them that honestly as long as they don’t buy from pet stores or puppy mills, that reputable breeders are always a positive source for pets. But I try to … Continue reading →

Tender Mercies: Stories to Stir the Soul – Joy Robinson

Posted on September 25, 2008 by Tristi Pinkston

“Tender Mercies: Stories to Stir the Soul” is a beautiful compilation book by Joy Robinson in which she has gathered stories from men and women from various different backgrounds that show how the Lord is mindful of us in our every need and how He showers us with tender mercies constantly. Stories in this uplifting volume include the account of a woman whose heart was touched upon hearing of the children who are taken from abusive homes and placed in foster care, often with just the clothing on their backs. She created CUDDLE Outreach, a program which provides handmade quilts … Continue reading →