A Strong Case for Adoption: Treatment-Resistant Families

by Joyce L. Goss

Over the years many studies relating to the long-term consequences of child maltreatment have arrived to the same conclusion: Abused children tend to suffer emotional and psychological problems, which persist, in many cases, well into adult life. Among the many problems cited: various forms of psychiatric disorder, criminality, aggression and violent behavior figure prominently. Removal of children from toxic environments (maltreatment, domestic violence, neglect) as an effective intervention to prevent, or at least ameliorate, the attendant, negative psychosocial consequences have been given strong support by the findings in those studies. But, doesn't placement of children outside their home and regular routine constitute, in and of itself, a risk factor with potential negative consequences? Yes! The abrupt removal of a child from his family-even an abusive, violent family-with subsequent placement in foster care is often associated with depression, feelings of loss, grief, anxiety and other psychosocial problems. So, what is our society to do? At a time when greater need exists for protecting children from abusive/neglectful environments the philosophical tug of war continues: Maintain the family structure at all costs says one side, remove the children early says the other. But, the problem is twofold:

a. The longer a child is exposed to maltreatment-in any of its forms-the greater the risk of suffering from emotional, physical and psychological harm.

b. The older the child gets, the lower the likelihood he or she will be adopted.

In California $1.5 billion is the annual tag to serve 78,000 kids in the foster care system two-fifths (2/5) of those children remain in foster care at least three years. The adoption rate? About 10 percent. By comparison Kansas has instituted a system where agencies lose funding if children are kept in foster care for more than eight months; results: Increasing rates of adoption and a much faster move towards reunification or adoption with significant benefits for the children.

While child welfare agencies, in their quest for family reunification, struggle to achieve effective intervention providing parent education classes, anger management, substance and alcohol abuse counseling, the probability that an adoptive home will be found for the child, if treatment fails, decreases substantially.

In the case of a "treatment-resistant family", however, the intervention of choice is clear: Terminate parental rights and find a permanent, safe and loving home for the child.

Q: What is a treatment-resistant family?
A: This is a family exhibiting these characteristics:

  • Is dangerous
  • No matter what type of therapy, counseling or intervention; regardless of how intensive the effort to bring about change; despite the expertise of those providing intervention, nothing succeeds in decreasing the danger, abuse and/or neglect to the children.
  • Refuses to become involved in the treatment process Sometimes a combination of social and psychological problems renders a parent or child caretaker resistant to helpful intervention; among these are: Persistent drug and alcohol abuse, a tendency to acts of violence, antisocial personality disorder.

In summary, there is a need for creating incentives that will encourage the foster care system to move more expeditiously toward family reunification or adoption. In the case of treatment-resistant families the mandate is clear: Find a foster/adoptive family situation for the child or children in as short a period of time as is legally possible.


 

 

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