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Jatzmin Estrada
something as simple as mothers day, or fathers day can make a child feel different or
out of place. We need to acknowledge those diverse ways children come into families,
such as adoptions or foster families. Studies show that more than 230,000 children
enter foster care yearly (Leve, 2007), based on this study the chance of having a foster
care child in the classroom is extremely high. If presented with a foster child it is
important to provide them with the appropriate help academically and socially. These
children seem to move around a whole lot so it is not surprising that they may be
academically behind and lack the stability that other children have. It is also proven that
when children enter formal education settings, they are expected to possess
competencies that make it possible for them to respond to the demands of school
environment (Leve, 2007). Causing them to lack in basic social skills and fail to
develop successful peer relations during school entry (Leve, 2007). Thus putting them at
greater risk for conduct problems, peer rejection, and academic failure throughout
childhood and adolescence (Leve, 2007). These are characteristics that most of the
The field of childrens literature seems to lack in this subject. While there are a
few books regarding this subject, there isnt much to pick from, when just focusing on
foster care. It is important to have literature about foster care in your classroom, in order
to provide those students with something in which they can relate to. There are so many
Foster Care in Childrens Literature
books about adoption, but how about those students who still do not have a permanent
home. This is a subject that should be talked about more and addressed in childrens
literature. It was even stated in one of the articles that, relatively few studies have asked
youth about their foster care experience (Diehl, 2011), which could explain the lack of
literature on the subject. On the other hand, it could also be that foster care groups are
looked upon as a negative option for children in the foster care system so thats why they
arent talked about much. While this may be true, the few childrens books that address
this subject seem to discuss it as a positive thing in their lives. Many of the books written
are from a person who actually went through the foster care system, which is important
because they are credible to write about the subject since they went through it
themselves.
Most of the books I found were for middle school or high school reading levels
because most the content consisted of brutal encounters from the perspective of a child
who grew up in that environment. These books can be highly emotional when reading as
well as inspiring to hear a positive take on the situation and how that child overcame it.
The only book that touched on foster care and would be appropriate for EC-6 would be
Almost Home by Craig Morgan. Something important that was stated in my research was
that the majority of the youth did not have the pride in their foster care status, but rather
in their survival of it and their childhoods (Hanna, 2011). This doesnt speak very highly
of the foster care system in place. Sadly most of these children are children that are
placed in foster homes at a later age making it harder for them to get adopted. Studies
Foster Care in Childrens Literature
shown that children at that age are at high risks of a variety of negative outcomes, such as
lower graduation rates, lower college attendance, lower wages, more frequent
economical distress, higher rates of out of wedlock parenting, and greater involvement
with the criminal justice system (Diehl, 2011). This may be the reason why many of the
books were aimed more towards middle school or high school aged children. Very few of
these children have a good outcome like Dave from The Lost Boy or Sugar from Almost
Home had. If those children are presented with the people who believe in them and are
willing to help them just like the teacher that helped Sugars character and also the foster
families that helped Dave, than children can overcome what they have experienced.
However, something that does need to be acknowledged is the role of long-term foster
care as an option for children and young people in need of a permanent family
placement (Schofield, 2009). Children need stability in their lives and it is hard for them
Implications as a teacher
As a future educator I hope to provide the right environment and support that
those foster children need as well as the material such as literature for them to relate to.
While also giving them hope about what is waiting for them in the future. The main focus
and priority for many of student who are placed into foster homes is that of survival;
survival from moving from home to home, survival from the abuse and neglect they may
have faced in their lives, survival from living apart from their family members, and
survival from moving from school to school. Many times school is what they consider as
an outlet from all the problems they are faced with. Most importantly I want to be well
Foster Care in Childrens Literature
informed about the topic whether its foster care, exceptionalities, adoption, homelessness
etc. This information is often necessary for a teacher in order to fully understand the
students needs and abilities. The more information a teacher may have on the child, the
better equipped the teacher becomes when trying to aid the childs in his behavior and
academic performance. Positive relationships with those students give foster care
students a sense of belonging and connectedness to a school, especially for those students
who are moving from school to school due to placements into new foster homes. Praise
teacher can be most effective in aiding in the development and event the healing of the
student. Finally, with some planning, understanding, and guidance, teachers can make the
difference between failure and success for a child in foster care, which I plan on doing.
This topic has really opened my eyes to the flaws in the foster care system. I hope
that those flaws are addressed and changed for the best of the children as soon as possible
by taking into account the statistics. This has encouraged me to look into being a foster
parent in the future. As well as help me see what a difference I can make concerning that
topic as a teacher. Without a doubt, teachers can make a tremendous impact in the life of
a child in foster care. They are often times in a position to be a positive role model and
References
Hanna, M., Tokarski, K., Matera, D., & Fong, R. (2011). Happily Ever
Diehl, D. C., Howse, R. B., & Trivette, C. M. (2011). Youth in foster care:
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00716.x