1. It’s never the child’s fault they are in care.
Neglect appears to be the overwhelming reason for children coming into foster care in the state of New York. Statistics in the 2017 CWLA report show that in 2015 there were 66,676 child victims of abuse and neglect in New York. Of those, over 95 percent of them were neglected. About 9 percent were physically abused, and 3 percent were sexually abused. If you’re thinking about becoming a foster parent in New York and are concerned about the trauma some of the children coming into your care may have endured, expect that neglect will likely be the most common denominator.
2. Nearly 50 percent are reunited with their families.
If your goal is to adopt from foster care, make sure your social worker is aware. The primary goal of foster care is to provide a safe, healthy environment for children while a plan for permanency is made. Most states do everything they can to assist biological parents in reuniting with their children. New York is no different. Be aware that while your foster child is with you, their parents may be working diligently to figure out their situation and be a family again soon. Do what you can to support the kids, no matter your personal feelings regarding their biological parent. Your job isn’t to judge them – it’s to do what you can to help the child living with you.
3. Time in care varies.
Most kids in New York are in care for an average of 17 months; however, the average time for adoption from foster care is a little over three years. If your plan is to adopt from foster care, pack your patience. This may be a long journey, but no matter the outcome, a worthy one. If a child reunites with their biological family, they will carry the memory of their foster family with them forever, hopefully as a light in a very trying time in their lives. If the foster family becomes the forever family – then the child has found a place to call home.
