Foster care and the meaning of home

Childhood in the foster care system is a time when a minor lives in a ward, group home, or private home with a state-certified caregiver or state-approved family member, usually through government or a social service agency. What does home mean in this context, and how can readers understand its place in a child's life? The lessons consider the ties between care, family, and belonging.

3 articles, 1 video, 1 book · about 54 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   childhood in the foster care system · Wikipedia · 44 min read

   In most states, the primary objective of foster care is to reconcile children with their biological parents, supporting continuity in a child's life. If parents are unable or unwilling to care for a child, or the child is an orphan, the first choice of adoptive parents is a relative such as an aunt, uncle or grandparent, known as kinship care. Cambodia's government research projects in 2006 and 2008 examined the overuse of orphanages to care for vulnerable children; the studies found that nearly 80% of children in orphanages had parents. Youth aging out of foster care often struggle to find stable housing, employment, finances, and educational opportunities. The suspected reasons include instability in foster care and reported childhood abuse and/or neglect, which may affect their ability to cope with significant life changes.

2. Read
   

   The foster care system is pushing college students into homelessness · Hechinger Report · 3 min read

   For young people aging out of foster care, Meza became too old for care during her first semester in college. "I struggled not knowing where I was going to live," says Meza.

3. Read
   

   States Update Guardianship Laws To Keep Children of Immigrants Out of Foster Care - KFF Health News · KFF Health News · 2 min read

   For children in foster care, ICE detention can make reunification with parents difficult: Juan Guzman, director of children's court and guardianship at the Alliance for Children's Rights, said reunification often requires court-ordered programs.

4. Watch
   

   How the Foster Care System Fails So Many Kids—And How We Can Do Better | Sixto Cancel, Think of Us · YouTube · 5 min watch

   Sixto Cancel discusses the challenges young people face after leaving foster care and how programs can help them prepare for independent life.

5. Book
   

   The Glass Castle · Bookshop.org

   The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls recounts her dysfunctional and nomadic upbringing, emphasizing her resilience and her father's attempts toward redemption. Walls also describes how her family's love and her unique perspective on life helped her create a successful life of her own.

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