A child in foster care has very little power or ability to direct their life.
They are removed from their family and then have people coming in to and leaving their lives constantly. According to Casey Family Programs the average number of placements for a child in care is 3.2. That is after they are removed from their home. Many children move many more times than that average. They will live with different people in different communities attending different schools.
The initial loss of family and community often leads to delays in education and learning which can then lead to social challenges. Add to those challenges the background of abuse, neglect, instability and trauma and it’s a race not even begun at the starting line. The average child in care enters their first foster home already struggling to maintain any normalcy or control in their lives.
By Tammy Spence LMSW, CCTP Executive Director