A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
For-profit care questioned
"Foster home shortage now critical, says CAS."
The recession will reduce the number of families that decide to become foster parents. A shortage will negatively impact children who are in need of stable homes to nurture and support them.
What I find interesting, and disturbing, is that for-profit agencies are privately placing children. As a former counselor and facilitator working with young offenders and "troubled youth," I have noticed the rising trend of privatizing foster homes.
Are these agencies looking out for the best interests of the children and youth? They are for-profit businesses and their main interest is their bottom line. The screening process for the foster family will not be as thorough because more families signing up means more per diems filtering into the private company from the government.
Unfortunately, it is about money and a child's or youth's development is not a concern for the government until they end up burdening the corrections, health and social welfare systems in adulthood.
Yiching Chua
5 November 2008
