America's foster care system has a noble goal-to care for children that for various reasons can no longer be cared for by their families-but years of inattention and inadequate funding have left many foster youth in a precarious state.
This resource provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the American foster care system. Areas of coverage include the scaffolding of foster care systems in the various states (each of which operate their own unique systems through their social service agencies); conditions under which children are taken out of their families of origin and placed in foster care; the experiences of both young children and older teens in foster homes; challenges for foster children who "age out" of the system; and proposals to reform and improve foster care across the nation.
Geared for students, this book contains chapters devoted to the background and history of foster care in America; the systems's problems, controversies, and solutions; original essay contributions exploring various facets of the system; profiles of leading foster care activists and organizations; governmental data and excerpts of primary documents on the topic; and an annotated list of important books, scholarly journals, and nonprint sources for further research. It closes with a detailed chronology, glossary of terms, and subject index.
- Provides a complete, accessible explanation of how the foster care system works
- Emphasizes the experiences of children placed in foster care
- Highlights efforts and proposals aimed at improving the experiences and outcomes for children and families interacting with America's child welfare system
- Details the challenges that face foster children that "age out" of the system
- ISBN10 1440874298
- ISBN13 9781440874291
- Publish Date 31 March 2022
- Publish Status Forthcoming
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Greenwood Press
- Edition Annotated edition
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 350
- Language English