Adoption Network Cleveland’s Post

Don’t be fooled by the myths surrounding foster care adoption. Here are the facts! ✅ Foster care adoption can be affordable. ✅ Children are often placed in foster care because of abuse, neglect, parental drug use or other issues — not because of anything they did. ✅ All family types can adopt, including singles, senior citizens and same-sex couples. ✅ Adoptive parents have the same rights, responsibilities and protections as parents whose children were born to them. Adoption is permanent. Read more from Rita Soronen, our President and CEO, to learn the truth this International Fact-Checking Day! https://bit.ly/FCAFacts

https://lnkd.in/em2QuG_f In 2022 FosterWiki survey on the cost of living crisis revealed a stark and shocking reality within the fostering community. A skilled and qualified workforce, dedicated to caring for the UK's most vulnerable, was struggling for its existence. ‘Children, once lifted from poverty, are now being plunged back into it. This statement- Children's Minister, Will Quince, asserting that no one should be 'out of pocket' due to their fostering role, sets a dishearteningly low benchmark for those providing 24/7 care to traumatised children. The crisis in foster care, as highlighted by FosterWiki, then asked for urgent attention and meaningful solutions. Anticipating the 2024 FosterWiki survey, we can expect an insightful revelation of the current state for foster carer’s in the UK. Here is the link https://lnkd.in/ec3yu3ss #FosterWiki #CostOfLiving2022 and soon #ImpactSurvey2024 - critical challenges for foster carers

Girl who lived in market stall to be in foster care: For 11 months, she called 2m by 3m space home https://lnkd.in/gWCN_6EE Heartbreaking Story Highlights Plight of Vulnerable Children A recent news article has shed light on the difficult living conditions endured by a young girl in Singapore. For 11 months, this child called a tiny 2m by 3m market stall her home. The article states that the girl, who cannot be named due to a gag order, will now be placed in foster care. Her mother, who has intellectual disabilities, lived in the market stall with her. This story is a stark reminder of the challenges and hardships faced by some of the most vulnerable members of our society - children living in poverty. It underscores the critical importance of having strong social safety nets and support systems in place to protect and nurture children in need. As a community, we must do more to ensure that no child falls through the cracks. This means strengthening policies and programs aimed at alleviating poverty, increasing access to quality education and healthcare, and providing a safe and stable home environment for every child. My heart goes out to this young girl and her mother. May they receive the care, support and resources they need to overcome their challenges and build a brighter future. #ChildWelfare #SupportVulnerableChildren #PovertyAlleviation #Singapore #SocialResponsibility

Many states are failing to track how frequently children in foster care facilities are abused, sexually assaulted or improperly restrained, leaving them vulnerable to mistreatment, the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said in a report Wednesday. The findings come as hotel heiress Paris Hilton heads to Congress to lobby in person on the problem. The report follows a Senate committee investigation that revealed children are subjected to abuse in foster care facilities around the country that are operated by a handful of large, for-profit companies and financed by taxpayers. States that are responsible for the nearly 50,000 children in these facilities are not doing enough to piece together which facilities or companies are problematic, according to the latest federal report. More than a dozen states don’t track when multiple abuses happen at a single facility or across facilities owned by the same company, the HHS OIG report Note - The above content was taken directly from posted article with no edits.

NEW FOSTER CARE GUIDELINES: EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLES TO FOSTER AND ADOPT: The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry in India has introduced significant changes to the Model Foster Care Guidelines. These updates now allow single individuals aged 25-60, regardless of marital status, to foster children with the possibility of adoption after two years. This marks a departure from the previous restrictions that limited foster care to married couples. The revised guidelines were officially notified and distributed to all states in June 2024, aligning with recent amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in 2021 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules of 2022. Here’s a detailed look at the changes: 1. Eligibility for Foster Care: Earlier Rules: Foster care was restricted to married couples only. Updated Guidelines: Open to all individuals regardless of marital status (unmarried, widowed, divorced, or legally separated). Single women can now foster and adopt children of any gender, while single men are limited to fostering and adopting male children. 2. Mandatory Fostering Period Before Adoption: Earlier Rules: A five-year fostering period was required before adoption. Updated Guidelines: The fostering period has been reduced to two years. 3. Age Criteria: Married Couples: Earlier Rules: Both spouses had to be over 35 years old. Updated Guidelines: The composite age of married couples must be at least 70 years to foster children aged 6-12 or 12-18 years. Single Foster Parents: Earlier Rules: No specific age criteria were specified. Updated Guidelines: Minimum age of 35 years; maximum age of 55 years for fostering children aged 6-12, and 60 years for children aged 12-18. 4. Registration and Documentation: Earlier Rules: Manual processes through District Child Protection Units. Updated Guidelines: Online registration via the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) and a dedicated online portal for document submission. Key Points: Inclusivity: Single individuals are now included, reflecting a broader approach to foster care. Simplified Process: Reduced fostering period and updated age criteria make the process more accessible. Digital Access: Online registration and document submission streamline the application process. These changes are designed to make foster care more inclusive and efficient, ensuring that more children can receive the care and support they need. #FosterCare #AdoptionInIndia #SingleParenting #ChildWelfare #JuvenileJusticeAct #WCDMinistry POSH COMPLY www.poshcomply.com

NEW FOSTER CARE GUIDELINES: EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGLES TO FOSTER AND ADOPT: The Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry in India has introduced significant changes to the Model Foster Care Guidelines. These updates now allow single individuals aged 25-60, regardless of marital status, to foster children with the possibility of adoption after two years. This marks a departure from the previous restrictions that limited foster care to married couples. The revised guidelines were officially notified and distributed to all states in June 2024, aligning with recent amendments to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in 2021 and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Model Rules of 2022. Here’s a detailed look at the changes: 1. Eligibility for Foster Care: Earlier Rules: Foster care was restricted to married couples only. Updated Guidelines: Open to all individuals regardless of marital status (unmarried, widowed, divorced, or legally separated). Single women can now foster and adopt children of any gender, while single men are limited to fostering and adopting male children. 2. Mandatory Fostering Period Before Adoption: Earlier Rules: A five-year fostering period was required before adoption. Updated Guidelines: The fostering period has been reduced to two years. 3. Age Criteria: Married Couples: Earlier Rules: Both spouses had to be over 35 years old. Updated Guidelines: The composite age of married couples must be at least 70 years to foster children aged 6-12 or 12-18 years. Single Foster Parents: Earlier Rules: No specific age criteria were specified. Updated Guidelines: Minimum age of 35 years; maximum age of 55 years for fostering children aged 6-12, and 60 years for children aged 12-18. 4. Registration and Documentation: Earlier Rules: Manual processes through District Child Protection Units. Updated Guidelines: Online registration via the Child Adoption Resource Information and Guidance System (CARINGS) and a dedicated online portal for document submission. Key Points: Inclusivity: Single individuals are now included, reflecting a broader approach to foster care. Simplified Process: Reduced fostering period and updated age criteria make the process more accessible. Digital Access: Online registration and document submission streamline the application process. These changes are designed to make foster care more inclusive and efficient, ensuring that more children can receive the care and support they need. #FosterCare #AdoptionInIndia #SingleParenting #ChildWelfare #JuvenileJusticeAct #WCDMinistry POSH COMPLY www.poshcomply.com

CHILDREN ARE SPENDING TOO LONG IN FOSTER CARE AND TOO LONG WAITING FOR ADOPTION! The Administration for Children and Families released its annual report on U.S. Foster Care and Adoption statistics two months ago. The National Council for Adoption provided a detailed breakdown of the report in the link below. The report shows that children are spending too long in foster care and too long awaiting adoption. #fostercareadoption #adoption #childwelfare #childadvocate #childadvocateprofessional

Meeting with the government now will be a very different story as we now have the empirical evidence to back up what we have been saying for years. With Key Findings in the landmark Independent Foster Carer's Survey this year, such as these, the need for reform has never been more evident: 👉 Nearly half (48%) of respondents reported that their providers do not, or only sometimes, comply with the law and national minimum standards. 👉 A significant majority (67%) stated that their frontline experience does not align with the organisation’s (Ofsted, Care Expectorate) ratings. 👉 Half of respondents (50%) had to report a concern or complaint about professionals within their fostering services in the last year. 👉 A substantial majority (80%) indicated that they are not always given available information about their child at the start of the placement. 👉 Over half (54%) of respondents stated that their children’s care plans are not always sufficiently up-to-date, followed, or effective. 👉 An overwhelming majority (82%) of respondents reported that the fear of allegations affects their fostering role in some way. 👉 A staggering 78% of foster carers report that their mental health has suffered because of their fostering role. 👉 A majority (63%) of foster carers do not feel able to ask for a break from their fostering role when they need it. The overriding point here is that foster carers can not continue to work like this, and without reform children and young people will continue to have dismal outcomes and bleak futures. Help us change this broken system together: https://lnkd.in/dF75XPvH

This paper presents some ‘out of the box’ thinking around how homes for children in care could be commissioned differently. It looks at how residential care and foster care operate in quite separate silos in the U.K. and argues that radical reframing is needed. I have to admit there’s a lot I agree with in here. Particularly the need for reform to be driven by what care experienced individuals say they want and need. I’d be really interested in hearing others views. “With reframing there would no longer be the two-tier system, but a continuum or range of settings. Each would be encouraged to become what it can best be for the good of children. Therapeutic communities might be home for some of their children; there might be foster relationships within them. Large foster households would become the residential communities of the future.” “Much of this is visionary and speculative, and will remain so until we grasp the nettle. Until we do, foster care will remain undervalued and under-resourced, residential care disparaged, and children unheard.” https://lnkd.in/eUiWSmuY

Perhaps, like schools stuck with an Industrial Model, sort of, conveyor-belt system processing the excluded even maybe societies seconds made to feel like rejects from the factory? All children are today future Human Resources and need to develop a high degree of self-sufficiently before being let loose to fend for themselves in a far from non-judgmental society and really require more than approval deprivation as a preparation for success. #PublicHealth #DigitalEyeHealth #DiversityAndExclusion #FunctionalAndDigitalliteracy #ReadingFluency