Argumentative Essay

Yasmin Edrees
Edrees 1
Wilson 4
18 February 2016
Social Injustices in the Foster System
Regardless of common thought the way we live our lives is constantly taken for granted.
We take for granted the opportunities that we are given at an equal education. The opportunities
to obtain successful futures and to become successful people. We look at family as a given with
no regards of the thousands of children of all ages that are not granted with this same blessing.
The unfortunate truth is that the foster system is a disruptive and unethical way of living. The
system deprives these children from holding a safe environment in their lives. Not only is the
system unsafe but it also withholds these children from the injustices that are present in court.
The cause for this is that the foster kids lose their voice. They lose their voice by being separated
by their siblings, and being forced into places that they are not comfortable in. The foster system
is unjust and needs improvement for all the following reasons; the commonality of abusive foster
homes, the separation of siblings, and the allowance of foster kids being deprived of a quality
education within the home.
The first significant injustice in the foster system is that there is not enough government
regulation for group homes/foster parents. Being placed in a group home means that the child has
not been adopted yet and will need to remain in the home for a long period of time. Constant
reports have been made regarding the abusive nature that has been created between the foster
parents and how simple it is for anyone to obtain this authority. Nehemiah Flynt witnessed this
first hand. One week after the child moved into my home, I received a new notice of
Edrees 2
Certification stating my home was certified to board children between the ages of eight and
thirteen. No one came out to my home or did any further investigations to see if I had met any
new qualifications that would enable me to move from being a respite provider to a full time
foster parent. -My certification changed based upon the states need for homes it had nothing to
do with my qualifications. Another portrayal of unprofessional behavior in the system is shown
in the following example, I wont even look through your house. Ill just write down that I did,
backdate the inspection report, and Ill be on my way. I promise. Itll be as simple as that
(Flynt). We can identify from these examples that there very much is a lack of regulation within
the system.
A foster child is not given many possessions majority of which get lost, because they are
constantly moving from one home to another. The only possession a child would have would be
the presence of their siblings. For children entering foster care, being with their siblings can
enhance their sense of safety and well-being (Lloyd). This benefit is in contrast to the traumatic
consequences of separation, which may include additional grief. Having a sibling in the foster
system is problematic due to the following reasons. Separation between siblings is common
because of the unavailability of room in group homes. Some group homes can fit as much as ten
kids while others can only fit six. In the case that a foster child is a continuous problem or
doesnt get adopted over a long period of time, they might be placed into juvie or prison- being
forced to abandon their brother or sister. There must be awareness to the government that the
childs mental health is at stake when they separate them from their siblings.
Not only is the environment disruptive to their mental and physical health, but they are
not granted the same equal opportunity to obtain a quality education. The cases of foster kids
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being completely illiterate when they reach adulthood is unethically high (Lips). Graduation
rates for high school seniors in foster care were, with only 35 percent living in group homes
graduating, as compared to 79 percent of other low-income seniors. Currently there is no way to
monitor as to whether the foster kids are receiving effective learning material in their group
homes. Therefore districts should be under the requirement to create a Local Control and
Accountability Plan (LCAP) to target resources to foster youth and monitor their progress
(Frey).
Therefore, the foster system is unjust because it has deprived each foster kid a chance
from obtaining a lively childhood. It does not allow them the opportunities that they should be
given. Their safety and well-being is constantly being challenged because of the lack of
regulation that foster parents have, the separation of siblings, and by being limited to an
unreliable education within the home. Many state that this system is ideal and that it is an
immediate upgrade opposed to having the child living on the streets. However the population
isnt aware of the long term effect that the system will have on the child. Being placed from
home to home can eventually lead them to being terminated from the system which will leave
them as homeless. From being separated from their family to being brutally injured from their
foster parents; the foster system has evolved into a corrupt system and little work has been done
to reform that.
Work Cited:
Flynt, Nehemiah. "Former Foster Parent Speaks Out on Corruption: Falsified Information &
Failure To Protect Children from Abuse." Medical Kidnap. N.p., 09 June 2015. Web. 03 Mar.
2016.
Frey, Susan. "Where Foster Kids Live Affects School Performance, Report Says." EdSource.
N.p., 22 May 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.
Lips, Dan. "Foster Care Children Need Better Educational Opportunities." The Heritage
Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.
Nelson, Lloyd. "Dealing with Sibling Separation in Foster Care." Foster and Adoptive Family
Services Blog. N.p., 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.

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What are some of the issues with the regulation and oversight of foster homes?

What problems arise from separating siblings in foster care?

Yasmin Edrees

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