by Socialworkingal
The social services field consists of an assemblage of factions that involves a multitude of players who attempt the impossible… cohesively facilitating the protection of abused and neglected children.
If you’ve ever been involved in the social services system, you are aware that there are the social workers that manage the dependency portion of the case, and social workers who manages the foster homes where the wards of the court are placed.
In comparison to non-profit state and county social services agencies, those in the private sector, which are for-profit agencies, or FFAs, function more like a business, depending exclusively on the placement of children and the recruitment of foster parents to stay in business. But wait, it gets deeper….
How it works? A private agency seeks out “qualified” individuals to care for children in their homes. The foster parents are compensated by the agency, and may even receive monetary incentives to foster children with severe behavioral issues. The foster parents are the key in this field because they are meeting the needs of the children…or say they are.
From experience, there are some foster parents who run their homes similar to businesses. They estimate how many children can be placed in their home according to licensing guidelines, and the amount they would receive for each child. I have met a foster parent who received almost $3,000 in foster care payments, but was always asking for clothing assistance, or funds to cover school expenses. When this same foster parent’s car was repossessed, there was an inquiry into her spending habits with the “reimbursement” money for the foster children in her home. Sadly, it was discovered that she was paying her estranged husband’s college tuition. Instead of paying bills or purchasing food for the house, she spent the money on her estranged husband. When asked to rationalize her behavior, she explained that taking care of her husband’s tuition was an attempt at reconciliation. She was immediately decertified, but unfortunately, the children were moved to yet another foster home.
The Anonymous Social Worker
For more view the Anonymous Social Worker’s Blog
Photo Credit: http://looneytunes09.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/things-that-suck-about-being-a-foster-kid/
