In my previous blog about the lawsuit in Rhode Island, one of my readers made a comment about something that hits my hot button and puts me up on my soap box. That is the rights of foster parents. I advocate for the rights of foster parents here in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin foster care went through a fairly major overhaul several years ago. The state took over foster care in Milwaukee because it was in such horrible shape. It is no longer a county run system, but is instead state run. They have come a long way in making improvements, but we all know the entire system is flawed, as is evidenced in the Rhode Island blog. It’s not just flawed in Wisconsin, it’s flawed everywhere.

Here comes my hot button. Foster parent rights. The reader commented on a child being removed from her home, reunified with a birth father he had never met, then when that didn’t work out, he was moved to a different foster home, not back to the one he was in.

This happens so frequently and is not in the best interest of the child. Foster parents are given very little input, if any, into a child’s case. When it comes time for a Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) hearing, the foster parents don’t testify. Never mind that they’re the ones who are living with the child every day, who know exactly what the behaviors are, who know how the child feels, acts, and thinks after a visit with a birth parent, they don’t get input.

I wrote a blog back in January that listed the foster parents’ rights. You can read it here. The rights that are listed in there are fine in theory, but really have little impact.

Number four just about has me in fits of laughter:

4. Be informed of all information regarding the child that will impact their home or family life during the care of the foster child.

There is no way to properly prepare a family for the impact a child will have on their home. Many times not all of the issues are known before hand, and how the child will act in each individual family is so drastically different, you can’t possibly predict it.

Let’s take number seven.

7. Assistance in dealing with family loss and separation when a child leaves their home.

Anybody know of this happening? I know it sure didn’t with us. We had sympathetic workers who knew how much we didn’t want to lose our kids, and fought to help us, but we were never given any resources, counseling offers or anything else.

How about this one:

10. Be informed of how to receive services and reach personnel on a 24 hour day 7 days a week basis.

You’re kidding right? Reach someone other than working hours on weekdays?

I could go on, but you get the point. That fact that the document exists is a great thing, but it is not nearly comprehensive enough, especially given today’s litigious society.

My friend, MJ, and I have been trying hard to get a new foster parent bill of rights pushed through the legislature in Wisconsin. So far we have hit brick wall after brick wall. Children’s rights gets plenty of attention, and even birth parents get plenty of attention, but foster parents… don’t get me started.

In my next blog, I’ll post the document that MJ worked on. She deserves the credit, she worked long and hard and it’s a great document.

Photo credit