ORIGINS DEFINED

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“Origins, what could this possibly mean?” Many people do not understand the different tiers of foster care and the varying statuses of children when they enter the system. Therefore, I am going to give a few definitions that better explain these important terminologies to combat stereotypes surrounding foster youth.​

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The terms “foster kid” and “orphan” are unfortunately interchanged terms due to the popularized movie “Annie”, when the two statuses in fact have very different meanings in the foster care system. Orphans are children who have been abandoned through neglect, separation, or death meaning the child has no form of guardianship and legally has an opportunity to be adopted by a family. Foster kids are the most common children in foster care and are children who have been temporarily placed under the care of someone other than their parents due to lack of care or proper upraising (Jerkins, 2015). For my movie goers, The Blind Side’s character Michael Oher is an example of a foster youth. Children are placed into system under this status temporarily in hopes that parents or guardians will adjust their practices and lifestyles so that they will be able to reacquire their children into their homes. If a child cannot be taken back in by their original parents or by foster parents, these children remain foster youth until they reach the age where they are no longer considered a minor. It is at this point these youths become “aged out foster youth” which is the main topic for this website and will be discussed profusely throughout this course.

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REALITIES

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At the age of eighteen, youth are expected to understand how society operates and how to successfully follow its standards and regulations. Youth who have a support system often make the transition into society relatively smoothly, but those who do not often fail to positively contribute to society, fall into lives of crime or regress into poverty. Countless studies have been published to communicate the likelihood that children entering the foster care system will fall into at least one of the negative outcomes mentioned above. One would think that more studies would be presented to children to focus on the necessary means for success, but instead, foster children are bombarded with negative opinions and told to prepare for the worst.

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Studies that focus on the negative statistics may serve as public data resources, but they also strongly influence foster children and develop a negative mindset resulting in misunderstood labels and stereotypes. The negative opinion forced upon them is often the single force that pushes them down a path to fulfill the negative stereotype implemented from the beginning. From an organizational perspective, how can one create change for these children when all they ever witness is failure from others in similar situations? The best way to prevent children from ever falling into this negative statistic is to eliminate the bombarding negative stereotype that jumpstarts them toward failure and replace it with positive reinforcement, encouragement and success stories. It is important for foster children to understand that their potential is not limited to the negative statistics continually presented to them by society, but that they possess the ability and potential to control their own lives.

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The Department of Social Service (2007) describes foster care as a system to provide resources and care for youth taken from situations of neglect or abuse in their home. This retroactive system does not allow these youths to practice autonomy as minors largely because they are considered too damaged or traumatized to make beneficial life decisions. (Leathers, 2005) The foster care system therefore assumes responsibility for children’s decisions and limits their autonomy in hopes to prevent misbehavior and negative statistics, yet these same youths are expected to be functioning adults by the age of eighteen. (Seale, 2008) The wealth of studies published on foster youth alone are proof that this this process is not preventing the failed transition of foster youth into society. (Wertheimer, 2002)

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 “So what does this guy really know anyway?” “He probably just got lucky after he aged out of foster care.” If you are wondering these things, you are right to question this and all stereotypes that surround foster youth. You should continue to search for your own truth and not just accept everything you hear; this quality will help you through the course, but more importantly lead you to your own success.

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TOMORROW, TOMORROW...

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“Tomorrow is only a day a way.” Although this may not be the exact lyric from the American classic, the message demonstrates that tomorrow is achievable and will come. In Annie, our little American sweetheart could have that sunny day that she had always longed for in her gloomy days as an orphan. Her ending was a happy magical moment, but unfortunately, reality rarely ends with a hopeful song and a happy tomorrow.

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