It would be hard to ignore that children are on the wrong end of the receiving line during this recession. Where there is job loss, a child suffers. Where there are home foreclosures, children suffer. When money runs out for the electric bill, a child suffers and the where there is (fill in the blank) statements can go on and on. It is simple, when a child’s parent or parents suffer, the child suffers. The article, America’s children: Protecting the weakest, printed within the Economist magazine is a true demonstration about what struggles the country is experiencing.
The article begins with what could be considered, good news, stating that children placed in the foster care system was reportedly down 11% since 2002. However, this news is not expected to remain “good” for very long. According to the article, experts are predicting this decrease is going to go back up, finding more children again placed within the system. As a soon to be social work graduate, hoping to work within the child welfare system, I am concerned about the tasks ahead. No one ever said working in child welfare was easy, that’s not the concern; the concern exists because a system that is often lacking appropriate funds already is going to absorb even more cuts. This is what I believe the writer of the article means by stating, hurting America’s “most vulnerable children.”
The question here is, how can children whose parents, no longer able to support them, be supported by a system that may not be able to best support them either? Where is the best place for a child? We know of course, with their family, but when that is not an option, the child welfare system takes over. I think the article touches on a sensitive point, suggesting during times of hardship parents are more likely to harm their children. Is the system going to be able to sustain itself, in order to best serve these harmed children? Only time will tell. Another question exists, as a result of these projected cuts in money and ultimately services, how will we know if the reports and statistics are accurate? There may be a small bright side.
As a budding social worker I fear and have hope, that those who advocate on behalf of children and families will do so in full force. If social workers and child advocates are working hard to serve children, I believe their reports will be accurate giving us a better idea of how to best serve children in the future. The true test of people’s character and willingness to help is evident in times of hardship and while families and children are suffering, some are coming to their rescue. An organization and concept new to me, is that of Safe Families. Safe families as described in the article allows parents to leave their children with volunteer families, similar to foster families, only the children remain in their parent’s custody. As the article alludes, the recession has caused more people to come forward and help children and families out. This concept could possibly be developed into a new branch of the foster care system, where families can seek a safe alternative to providing for their children during the recession. While this may sound like idealist speech, I think during such times it is imperative to search outside of how we have always done things.
Consequently, the concern goes back to overloading an already overloaded system. If it is projected the number of families seeking help from this organization, Safe Families, is going to “double,” considering what this doubling could also mean for the foster care system is a must. For now, let’s hope organizations similar to Safe Families, are contributing throughout the United States; it seems many children would go underserved without them.
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