Exploring Adoption

Washington State Foster Families Camp for Free at WA State Parks

One of my readers, who is a foster parent, alerted me to the following info:

Washington State resident foster parents and relative foster caregivers who camp with the children in their care are entitled to free campsites in Washington State Parks. Participants in the program may camp at first-come, first-served parks or make a telephone reservation to camp in a reservation park (call 1-888-CAMPOUT or 1-888-226-7688).

Eligible participants making reservations do not pay for camping but are charged the reservation fee to hold sites in the reservation system. To get free camping when making a reservation, tell the operator you are a foster care provider. Then, when you arrive at the park to register, show a photo ID indicating Washington residency (for example, a Washington State Driver's License), along with a Foster Care ID card or your Foster Home License.  Walk-In campers need to show these same documents at the park to receive a free campsite. 

Foster parents and relative caregivers also may use State Parks boat launches and pumpouts for free when they camp.

I live in Washington and do my fair share of camping at our state parks. Here are my favorites: 

• Pacific Beach or Ocean City (near Ocean Shores) - Extremely windy at Pacific Beach so RVs are best at this park (yes, your tent WILL blow over; I speak from experience). But Pacific Beach State Park is literally on the beach. Ocean City is just down road and the campground is a short walk to the beach. Miles and miles of unpopulated, sandy beach, perfect for stunt kite flying. You can even drive your vehicle on parts of the beach. Dress for cold weather and rain. Beware: the ocean in Washington is COLD. And I mean frigid!
• Birch Bay (near Bellingham) - huge, woodsy park, great for biking. Canadians flock to this park during clamming season. There's a water slide a couple of miles down the road for the kiddos.
• Fort Ebey (Whidbey Island) - small, woodsy, intimate park with cool old forty stuff for the kids to play in.
• Wenberg (Snohomish County) - on a pretty lake; close to outlet malls, if you need retail therapy
• Alta Lake or Pearrygin Lake (Eastern WA) - more pretty lakes, good for summer swimming.
• Battle Ground Lake (my old stomping grounds) - yet another beautiful lake in southwest Washington. Good swimming hole; pretty good fishing (electric motors only).
• Wenatchee Confluence - huge flat sites, large grassy area, miles of biking trails; there can be mosquitos.
• Sun Lakes - if you like it hot and dry, head to this Eastern Washington hot spot. We're talking 100+ degrees from June-August. Lotsa water sports.
  

Happy camping in beautiful Washington state, foster families!

My Child is Struggling with Post-Adoption Issues. What Should I Do?

A reader asks:
I have a 16-year-old who is struggling with post-adoption issues relating to self-esteem. I’m looking for counselors in my area with this kind of experience.

Seeking a counselor for your child is a wise decision. Most, if not all teenagers struggle with self-esteem issues, and adoption tends to compound those issues. Therapists who specialize in adoption issues can be found in many communities.

Before seeking a therapist, learn what types of mental health care your health insurance provider includes in your benefits plan. Ask your insurance company for a list of providers in your area who specialize in adoption.

You can also get recommendations from local adoption agencies, adoptive family support groups, your state’s adoption office, and mental health associations.

Types of therapists to consider contacting:

• Child and family therapist
• Clinical Neuropsychologist
• Licensed clinical psychologist
• Licensed clinical social worker
• Licensed professional counselor
• Pastoral counselor
• Pediatrician experienced in working with adopted children (for referrals)
• Psychiatrist

When seeking a counselor/therapist, look for the following specialties:

• Adoption
• Anxiety
• Attachment
• Behavior issues
• Depression
• Grief and loss
• Identity development
• Multicultural families
• Non-traditional families
• Pre- and post-reunion
• Post-adoption adjustment
• Transitions
• Trauma/Abuse recovery

Types of therapy:

• Art therapy
• Behavior modification
• Cognitive therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Individual psychotherapy
• In-home counseling
• Parent coaching
• Play therapy

A few questions to ask when choosing a therapist:

• How long have you been in practice?
• What type of specialized training or certification do you have?
• What continuing training do you participate in?
• What experience do you have working with adoptive families?
• What is your interest in adoption?
• Do you belong to any adoption-related organizations?
• What is your philosophy about adoption (tailor questions to your situation)

National Resource Organizations for locating therapists:

The American Academy of Pediatrics
847.434.4000

The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
703.838.9808

The American Association of Pastoral Counselors
703.385.6967

The American Psychiatric Association
703.907.7300

The American Psychological Association (APA)
800.374.2721

The Association for Play Therapy
559.252.2278

The Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh)
866.453.8224

The National Association of Social Workers
202.408.8600

For contact information on State adoption offices and local adoptive parent support groups, access Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Foster Care & Adoption Directory.

Source:
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2005). Selecting and Working With an Adoption Therapist: A Factsheet for Families. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Additional posts in this series:
Part 1: How to choose an adoption agency
Part 2: Am I too old to adopt?
Part 3: Can I adopt if I’m on a limited income?
Part 4: Why is it so difficult for singles to adopt?
Part 5: When should I tell my child he/she was adopted?
Part 6: What should I do when my child wants to find his/her birth family?

For more information creating a support system for your child, get my books, The Adoption Decision: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting, and The Adoption Network: Your Guide to Starting a Support System.

Do you have a question about adoption you'd like me to address on the Exploring Adoption blog? Please e-mail me. 

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

How Much Does It Cost to Care for a Foster Child?

On any given day, there are more than half a million children in foster care in the U.S.

Three-fourths of them are placed by the government with foster parents who open their homes to care for these vulnerable children and almost one-fifth are placed in group homes and institutions.

Federal law requires state and local child welfare systems to pay foster parents to “cover” the expenses (food, clothing, and school supplies) for these children.

But how much does it really cost to care for a child in foster care? Until now, there has been no standardized calculation.

A new report calculates--state-by-state--the real cost of supporting children in foster care. The report establishes Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children (the “Foster Care MARC”) based on an analysis of the real costs of providing care.

You can download the 58-page report yourself if you’re interested in learning how they calculated these costs. The report clearly demonstrates that rates of support for children in foster care are far below what is needed to provide basic care for these children in nearly every state in the nation.

On average, across the U.S., current foster care rates must be raised by 36 percent in order to reach the Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children (the “Foster Care MARC”). In some states, rates are less than half of what it actually costs to care for a child in foster care.

Tables in the report show the current foster care rates for each state (for children ages 2, 9, and 16) and compare that with the MARC, or rate at which each state should be funding foster care. The tables also U.S. averages and the percentage must be increased by to hit the MARC.

Here are a few of the results:

Only one state (Arizona) and the District of Columbia are currently hitting the MARC.

States that must raise their rates by up to 25% for at least one age group include (in alphabetical order):

• Alaska
• Connecticut
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Nevada
• Tennessee
• Texas
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

States that are completely missing the MARC--in other words--their rates must be more than doubled for at least one age group of children--include (in alphabetical order):

• Idaho
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Ohio
• Wisconsin

For complete details, download the  report:

"Hitting the M.A.R.C.: Establishing Foster Care Minimum Adequate Rates for Children."

The report was prepared by Children’s Rights , the National Foster Parent Association and the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Foster Child Statistics

An Associated Press article noted that while the numbers of children in foster care is shrinking slightly, those in the system are remaining there longer and the population in foster care is older.

37 percent of children who don't find permanent homes are at risk of failing to complete high school.

37 percent are at risk of being either physically or sexually abused, homeless, or incarcerated.

New Studies Published on Foster Care

Three articles in the April 2006 edition of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute e-newsletter highlight recent studies about foster care.

Government could save billions if foster children are adopted
The first study projects that the government would save $3.3 billion to $6.3 billion if 50,000 children who would otherwise remain in foster care were adopted.  That’s not small change, folks!

According to the article, some states have recently cut adoption subsidies because of increasing costs. But according to the study, the federal, state and local government will SAVE about $21,000 over a 7.7 year period if a child is adopted, compared to remaining in foster care during that period.

The study, called “A Comparison of the Governmental Costs of Long-Term Foster Care and Adoption,”  by Richard Barth, Chung Kwon Lee, Judith Wildfire, and Shenyang Guo, was published in the March 2006 issue of Social Service Review (Volume 80, Issue 1). To purchase the study, visit: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/SSR/journal/contents/v80n1.html
?erFrom=5104483151880976664Guest

Foster children not being assessed for mental health problems
The second study cites some rather grim statistics concerning mental health services for foster children. It explains that fewer than half the states routinely assess children entering foster care for mental health problems. Between 40 to 80 percent of foster children have significant mental health problems, but only about 23 percent of these children receive any mental health services each year.

The researchers recommend routine screening (duh), increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates, and training foster parents to assess mental health needs, among other things.

The study, “Mental Health Needs and Treatment of Foster Youth: Barriers and Opportunities,” by Bonnie Kerker and Martha Dore, was published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (Volume 76, Issue 1). To purchase the study, visit: http://content.apa.org/journals/ort

Birth parents and foster parents participate in training program together
The third study discusses a 12-week parent training program that was offered to 40 randomly selected biological/foster-parent pairs. The program had two components: parenting and co-parenting.

When compared with 24 other parent pairs, the treatment group showed improvement in positive discipline and clear expectations.

The study, conducted at the New York University Child Study Center, was called “A Promising Parenting Intervention in Foster Care,” by Oriana Linares, Daniela Montalto, MinMin Li and Vikash Oza. It was published in the February issue of Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (Volume 74, Issue 1). To purchase the study, visit: http://content.apa.org/journals/ccp

For more articles about adoption, please visit my Web site, www.laurachristianson.com

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child

As a followup to the 5-part series on closed adoption that I posted this week at my Christian Adoption blog, I'm overviewing one of my favorite adoption books, Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past, by Betsy Keefer and Jayne Schooler.

Here's what I'll be posting during the next four days:

• April 8 - When should you tell your child the circumstances behind his or her adoption?
• April 9 - What is the ideal age at which to tell your child he was adopted?
• April 10 - How often do adopted children think about adoption?
• April 11 - 9 tips for interpreting adoption photolisting information

For more articles on adoption, please visit www.laurachristianson.com.

Dealing With Racism Directed at Multiracial Families

The Caucasian foster mom of two African-America girls, ages 7 and 3, poses this question (readers, please respond to her in the Comments area):

I took my African-American foster daughters to the beach this summer and witnessed horrible racism directed at them. A man ripped his child off the swings because we were there. People in town were unfriendly to us. When I took the girls food shopping in the next town, African-American women were indifferent to me, whereas Caucasian women showed no signs of discrimination.

I don't think the 3-year-old saw the problem, but the 7-year-old clearly felt the effects of the racism.

When a child is treated this way, how can I, as her parent, help her?

Substance Abuse a Factor in Three Quarters of All Foster Care Placements

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that substance abuse is a factor in at least three quarters of all foster care placements.

Here is a summary of the report's findings:

• Approximately 680,000 youths (2.7 percent) aged 12 to 17 have ever been in foster care.
• Youths who have been in foster care had a 33.6 percent rate of illicit drug use versus 21.7 percent for youths who had never been in foster care.
• White youths who have been in foster care were more likely than their black counterparts to have used alcohol (41.4 vs. 29.8 percent) or any illicit drug (36.2 vs. 26.7 percent) in the past year.
• Youths aged 12 to 17 who were in need of substance abuse treatment in the past year were MORE LIKELY to have received treatment if they have ever been in foster care.
• Among youths who have ever been in foster care and were in need of substance abuse treatment, 19.1 percent received treatment in the past year. Among youths who have never been in foster care, 7.2 percent who needed treatment received it in the past year.

Rates of youths aged 12 to 17 who have ever been in foster care, by ethnicity:

• American Indian/Alaska Natives - 6.6 percent
• blacks - 4.9 percent
• Hispanics - 2.5 percent
• whites - 2.4 percent
• Asians - 0.7 percent

Access the report at The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Applied Studies.