State and federal law mandates that foster children be tracked through visitation and school attendance. Of course, I realize that the system is flawed--and most definitely always will be due to that fact that it serves human beings in crisis. We all know that it has only been in the last few years that older teens have received the care they deserve in foster care. Watch out for even more funds headed to that group to be phased in over the next few years. Services and funding are expanding to require states to serve their foster children through age 21, rather than the more common age 18. The federal government has recognized that these are well spent funds.
While it is certainly possible that this child was not reported missing by her foster parents immediately, the school would have to report within 10 days to continue receiving funding for her education. Within a reasonably short period of time, she would have had to have been reported missing due to the checks and balances of the foster system. I hate to be blunt but no child, no visit, no funding for anybody. Surely, there could be corruption and a cover-up and that would certainly add to the atrocities this young woman has endured. The foster family can certainly attempt to move heaven and earth to find the child or sadly, can turn away, but the burden lies with the state as they are the child's guardian. The foster parent is merely acting as an agent of the state in providing a home, care, and supervision. As a foster parent, one cannot even provide a child with a Tylenol unless it is listed in their permitted medication form and it is logged. You are correct, there are many different ways to approach the foster care world.
And thank you for the kind words but I've only been a foster parent for two years. I've worked with foster and adoptive families as an advocate for the last twenty odd years. This is a new world to me. We have ten children who are adopted and that's a completely different issue. Our foster care license is for children who are tremendously challenged (mentally deficient, as this article states). We have a service agreement that clearly mandates that we must report our foster daughter missing to LE within 10 minutes of not being able to locate her. We also must file a detailed incident report within 24 hours which is then staffed at a regional level. The school is under the same mandate. Our daughter turns 16 this week so this hits especially close to home.
While it is certainly possible that this child was not reported missing by her foster parents immediately, the school would have to report within 10 days to continue receiving funding for her education. Within a reasonably short period of time, she would have had to have been reported missing due to the checks and balances of the foster system. I hate to be blunt but no child, no visit, no funding for anybody. Surely, there could be corruption and a cover-up and that would certainly add to the atrocities this young woman has endured. The foster family can certainly attempt to move heaven and earth to find the child or sadly, can turn away, but the burden lies with the state as they are the child's guardian. The foster parent is merely acting as an agent of the state in providing a home, care, and supervision. As a foster parent, one cannot even provide a child with a Tylenol unless it is listed in their permitted medication form and it is logged. You are correct, there are many different ways to approach the foster care world.
And thank you for the kind words but I've only been a foster parent for two years. I've worked with foster and adoptive families as an advocate for the last twenty odd years. This is a new world to me. We have ten children who are adopted and that's a completely different issue. Our foster care license is for children who are tremendously challenged (mentally deficient, as this article states). We have a service agreement that clearly mandates that we must report our foster daughter missing to LE within 10 minutes of not being able to locate her. We also must file a detailed incident report within 24 hours which is then staffed at a regional level. The school is under the same mandate. Our daughter turns 16 this week so this hits especially close to home.
raying:
