Bread Winner Making Babies!!! Welfare Queens!!!

[Mac1958]

.

Along these lines:

A recent study shows that American students have higher self esteem and think far more highly of themselves than students in other countries. Yet their intelligence and test scores clearly lag those of foreign students.

Does that bother anyone? I find this very disturbing.

Supporting material, including an interview with the author of the study:


Confident Idiots: American Students Growing More Confident, Less Capable

Interview with Dr. Twenge: Is Generation Y more narcissistic than earlier generations? | Washington Times Communities

Study shows college students think they're more special than ever...even those that can't read or write and barely study | Mail Online

For Math Students, Self-Esteem Might Not Equal High Scores



The self esteem / participation medals / don't hurt feelings movement that has pervaded our schools and our culture is feeding our decline.

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[Esmeralda]

So if you want to do away with the foster care system, what is your counter-proposal? Work-houses?

Who wants to do away with foster care?

Hopefully, we will find a solution so it's not needed or at least it can be reduced. The cost of foster care is significantly higher than supporting children in their home. Also, foster care is a terrible alternative to leaving kids in their home unless the kids are in danger.

The idea of pulling kids out of low income marginally dysfunctional homes and putting them in foster care is a terrible idea, both for the kids and the taxpayers. Foster care is designed as a temporary home for kids. Most of them return to their original homes.

*-*The Future of Children -

Not all foster kids are from low income homes. My foster daughter came from a white collar home; her father had a good job at a local university in the IT department and made good money, but both parents were very dysfuntional and it was not a nurturing nor safe environment for her. And their home was not 'marginally dysfunctional;' it was very dysfunctional. The child welfare system tried for a long time to keep her in the home. They removed older brothers who were a threat to her safety, and they made the parents go to parenting classes, but eventually, they had to remove her from the home. She was being neglected, not going to school, and was still at risk from violent siblings on the days her brothers visited the home. The home itself was so filthy it was a health hazard and a physical hazard as well. Socially, because of her home environment and family, she was not making friends at school and basically, her health, safety, education and social development were all compromised, so they did end up removing her from the home. Things are not as simple as you seem to think.

 

[Flopper]

I don't believe the statitic " 500,000 children are taken into foster care every year,"

Do you, really?

Perhaps there are a half million children in foster care in total, that's totally believable. In fact the data suggests that that is the number of kids in foster care

http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends_2011_05_31_DS_FosterCare.pdf


As to the cost of prisoners?

I'm not sure how that ties into the issue of foster care.

Tenuously would be my guess

For fiscal year ending in Sept 2011:
Number entered foster care during fiscal year = 252,320
Number that exited foster care during the fiscal year = 245,260
Number in foster care on September 30 2011 = 400,540

Foster care is a temporary home for kids. Foster parents are not a substitutes for the real thing. Generally they provide lodging, food, and a minimal level of care while the kids wait to passed on to a more permanent home.

52% are reunited with their parents or care giver.
20% are adopted.
8% are transferred to other relatives
11% are emancipation
The remainder are transferred to other agencies, placed in guardianship, or runaway.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/afcarsreport19.pdf

 

[Flopper]

Who wants to do away with foster care?

Hopefully, we will find a solution so it's not needed or at least it can be reduced. The cost of foster care is significantly higher than supporting children in their home. Also, foster care is a terrible alternative to leaving kids in their home unless the kids are in danger.

The idea of pulling kids out of low income marginally dysfunctional homes and putting them in foster care is a terrible idea, both for the kids and the taxpayers. Foster care is designed as a temporary home for kids. Most of them return to their original homes.

*-*The Future of Children -

Not all foster kids are from low income homes. My foster daughter came from a white collar home; her father had a good job at a local university in the IT department and made good money, but both parents were very dysfuntional and it was not a nurturing nor safe environment for her. And their home was not 'marginally dysfunctional;' it was very dysfunctional. The child welfare system tried for a long time to keep her in the home. They removed older brothers who were a threat to her safety, and they made the parents go to parenting classes, but eventually, they had to remove her from the home. She was being neglected, not going to school, and was still at risk from violent siblings on the days her brothers visited the home. The home itself was so filthy it was a health hazard and a physical hazard as well. Socially, because of her home environment and family, she was not making friends at school and basically, her health, safety, education and social development were all compromised, so they did end up removing her from the home. Things are not as simple as you seem to think.

It sounds like DCFS made the right decision. Things are never simple when it comes to dysfunctional homes and kids.