Walden 6660N Week 11 Discussion

Walden 6660N Week 11 Discussion

Foster care is basically an intervention that exists in society for children who are abandoned, orphaned or maltreated. According to the World Health Organization, more than 400,000 children have been enrolled to foster care in the United States and half of this population are aged 5 years and younger (Nadeem et al., 2017). Most of the children in foster care are at high risk of psychopathologies and notably account for a good share of public funds more so in psychiatric services. The Depart of Health estimates the expenditure for children in foster care to be approximately 15-20 times more that of children who are not maltreated from low-income families. It should be noted that all children enrolled in foster care have different special needs and their development get to be negatively affected by the time they enter foster care. This is attributed to the fact that the reason for foster care can either be abandonment, abuse or neglect, factors which clearly affect development. However, the major purpose of foster care is to enable a child to be attached and receive the much needed comfort, nurturance, protection and support.
Psychological Issues That May Result from Foster Care
The removal of a child from a family that he/she is familiar with automatically results to emotional trauma. Foster care needs to be viewed as an opportunity that stimulates healing within a period that children are nurtured and supported in highly simulative environments which address their needs (Nadeem et al., 2017). Instead, most children usually have to either cope with ongoing loses and other uncertainties which are associated with foster care placement. Walden 6660N Week 11 Discussion

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Individual feelings of rejection, loss and unworthiness tend to worsen when it’s unpredictable on whether or not family members would visit. Other transitions in foster care such as visitations of poor quality, changes in child care and schools, losing friends , respite placements, freed for adoption, separation from siblings and bullying and teasing by peers also causes results to psychological issues(Nadeem et al., 2017). Social stigma from having to follow-up on mental health services is also a psychological concern for most families. Therefore some of the most common mental health disorders that children in foster care face are disruptive behaviors such as ADHD, PTSD, mood disorders and anxiety disorders.
Most Effective Assessment Measure That Could Be Used in Foster Care
Some of the assessment measures that for foster care children include: the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment, Disturbances of Attachment Interview and the Development and Wellbeing Assessment. The most effective amongst them all is the Infant-Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) which has 166 questions that a caregiver administers to assess for a child’s emotional, social and behavioral development in different domains. The purpose of the comprehensive screening is to collect information on a child’s trauma and associated mental, social and behavioral health needs. This information should be used in case planning in activities such as ensuring the child’s safety, well-being and permanency. A functional assessment should also be done to assess the child’s functioning capacity and his/her relationships at school and home which can help in clinical decision making.
Available Treatment Options for Children and Adolescents in Foster Care Walden 6660N Week 11 Discussion
The treatment options differ based on the age of a child, experiences, diagnoses and preconditions of placement. There are symptom focused interventions and behavioral, interpersonal and cognitive behavioral therapies (Barnett et al., 2016). Collectively, both treatment options aim at reducing children’s non-compliance with rules, psychological trauma in previously abused children and to strengthen family relationships.

How Culture May Influence Treatment
There are incidences where culture may influence treatment especially when a child’s cultural background is different from that of the foster parent. Some of the areas that totally opposite perspectives may arise in foster care include: diet and nutrition, discipline and parenting, use of traditional medicines, adolescent issues such as confidentiality, development, family roles, sexuality, acculturation and identity development. As noted by Doyle & Aizer (2018), this explains why cultural awareness within the foster family is important to prevent the likelihood of a child from being bullied.

References
Barnett, E. R., Boucher, E. A., Neubacher, K., & Carpenter-Song, E. A. (2016). Decision-making around psychotropic medications for children in foster care: Perspectives from foster parents. Children and Youth Services Review, 70, 206-213.
Doyle Jr, J. J., & Aizer, A. (2018). Economics of child protection: maltreatment, foster care, and intimate partner violence. Annual review of economics, 10, 87-108.
Nadeem, E., Waterman, J., Foster, J., Paczkowski, E., Belin, T. R., & Miranda, J. (2017). Long-term effects of pre-placement risk factors on children’s psychological symptoms and parenting stress among families adopting children from foster care. Journal of emotional and behavioral disorders, 25(2), 67-81.Walden 6660N Week 11 Discussion