Works Cited

Fessler, Pam. "Report: Foster Kids Face Tough Times After Age 18 : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. PBS. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. .

"Letters from Foster Care." Fostering Perspectives Mainpage. Nov. 2003. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. .

Levine, Brittany. "This Mom Takes in Bouncing Baby ... Teens - Local News - Orange County, CA - Santa Ana, CA - Msnbc.com." Breaking News, Weather, Business, Health, Entertainment, Sports, Politics, Travel, Science, Technology, Local, US & World News- Msnbc.com. 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. .

"Teens in Foster Care Hold Out Hope for Adoption - ABC News." ABCNews.com - ABCNews.com: Breaking News, Vote 2010 Elections, Politics, World News, Good Morning America, Exclusive Interviews - ABC News. 2 June 2006. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/FosterCare/story?id=2032739&page=1

Trudeau, Michelle. "Children Grow Up Healthier in Enriched Foster Care : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. PBS, 6 June 2008. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91247186

Reflection Paragraph on Sources

The sources that I used to find information were good sources. This source,http://www.seattlepi.com/local/377826_foster05.html, was the most helpful site because it shows what kind of attitudes that the teenagers have that are in foster care, what they feel about being in foster care.

Reflection Paragraph on Process

I did enjoy working on this topic because it is something that is personal for me. At the same time it was hard because it was sad to hear about what these kids were going through. The hardest information there was to find was what the effects of being in foster care were. If I were to do this over again I would probably narrow down my topic a little. I might make it just about what happens to teens when they come out of foster care and what kind of people they will become.

Wordle #2

Reflection Paragraph

This was a sad topic to research because there really are so many kids out there that are my age and they are in foster care. They are not with their families or with anyone they really know. I know that for me, it would be hard to be going through the stages that all teenagers go through and not have my parents around. However, it is nice knowing that some of the teens that came out of foster care were able to help out the kids that are in foster care now. It was surprising to find out how many teens are actually in foster care. It was also surprising to find out how many teens are moved out of foster care each year and some of them do not have anyone. I can not even imagine being eighteen and having to go out and face the world all by myself. I truly believe that we can all make a difference if we work together!

Finding Paragraph #3

There are so many ways that you can help kids in foster care. For example, you could volunteer at programs that help to serve foster kids. You could also raise money for the kids in foster care.(Craft) The ways that you could raise money would be like having a car wash or having a community yard sale.

Finding Paragraph #2

Teens go through a lot while in foster care. They go to school just like any other teenager. However, they do go through a little more than the average teenager. Even so, most of them are exited and optimistic about their futures. 88% of the teenagers are reported to be in good health. 74% of them are making good grades in school and 22% of them expect to get into a 4 year college.(Iwasaki and Wong) Some teens are even able to help other kids in foster kids after they are no longer in foster care.

Finding Paragraph #1

Why are kids put into foster care? A majority of younger children are placed in foster care due to their parents having problems with substance abuse.(Ryan&Cardi)Some of the teens have been neglected, physically abused, or sexually abused.(Human Resources) The average number of months most kids are in foster care is from 11 to 42 months or 1 to 2 an a half years.(Ryan and Cardi) When teens turn 18, they are moved out of foster care. Over 30,000 teens are moved out of foster care and into the real world each year.(Fessler) Over 2.000 kids are put into foster care each year.(Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Animoto #2

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Quote #5

"There are big, long-term health payoffs in mental and physical well-being when foster-care services to children are enhanced, a new study suggests."


Kids that are put in wealthier families have more long- term advantages. I do not necessarily feel that this is true. 


This article talks about how some foster kids are better with wealthier families because they are able to give them more. 


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91247186

Quote #4

"Researchers say former foster kids who have someone to rely on do better than those who don't. But right now, only a handful of states provide foster care beyond 18."

The kids that have someone to rely on as they get older end up doing better in life than the ones that do not have anyone. Only a few of the states have foster care after the teens turn 18. It would be better if they did because they would have at least one person that could help them out.

The article is from NPR. It is called Report: Foster Kids Face Tough Times After Age 18. This article mainly talks about life after foster care.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125594259

Graph Representing Child Abuse and Neglect

This graph represents the number of fatalities due to neglect and abuse. Notice that the highest percent of deaths is found in children younger than a year old. This is because infants can not defend themselves and can get hurt easier than the older children because they are more fragile.

 http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/fatality1.gif

Quote #3

"Teenagers for the most part are viewed as kind of like a lost hope," says Cowan, now 27. "We have problems and so many issues."

This is what a lot of foster parents and even other adults think about fostering teenagers. They feel that teenagers are too much trouble and that they come with too much baggage. So, most of them do not even give teenagers a chance. They just say that they are too far gone and can not be helped due to issues they have had to deal with.

This article is called "This mom takes in bouncing baby... teens." It talkes about a woman who was Terri Cowan's mentor, then her foster mother, and now her mother. Terri was 16 when she was adopted and she is now 27.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40085225 

Photo #3

This what every child wants. It does not matter whether they are infants or if they are teenagers getting ready to age out of foster care. Every child wants a home, a warm place to sleep at night. We should be able to give them at least that. No child should have to be scared to be in their home, or to have to try and search to find their parents and wonder where they are. They should be with people who they can trust and they know will love them and will not leave them.

http://www.co.kern.ca.us/dhs/images/1460.jpg

Quote #2

"Why didn’t you love me?” I feel he tossed me away like an old doll. You didn’t even play with me. I felt like I came from the sky and that is why I am so sour. . . .You make kids like Ford makes cars." -Desmond, 18 


Desmond is angry at his father because he did not love him like he felt he should have been loved. He felt like he was always pushed around. He thinks that the reason he has a bad attitude is because of the way his father treated him. 

The article that this was found had letters written by foster kids. Desmond had written a letter to his father. All of the kids in the article sent letters to their parents expressing to them what they felt. They felt the following:  anger, sadness, confusion, and frustration.  

http://www.fosteringperspectives.org/fp_vol8no1/letters.htm

Quote #1

"I don't really know how to explain it," Ruben, now 18, said. "It hurts a lot to be rejected." 

Reuben does not know how to show how much it hurts to be rejected. 

The article that this quote was found in was about an 18 year old boy named Reuben. Reuben talks about how hard his life has been, ever since his dad left him, his four siblings, and their mother. Then he got put into foster care a few years later after his father left.  
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/FosterCare/story?id=2032739&page=1

Photo #2

This photo is saying that it does not matter if you are a perfect parent. You do not have to be. These teenagers just want somebody to love them and care for them. All you have to do is try your best, and they will be forever grateful. http://chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/E0CF161E-C364-4043-BF62-DE7D664B5535/0/perfectParent.jpg

Photo #1

This image is showing that even teenager need to have parents. Whether it is their real parents or having foster parents. Teenagers need to be loved and taken care of just as much as the younger kids in foster care, maybe even more so.   http://www.countyofdane.com/danedept/press/img/teens_need_foster_parents.jpg

Helpful Sites for Research

http://www.dhr.state.al.us/page.asp?pageid=470
This site talks about the teenagers that are put into foster care. It talks about how the teenagers are just like normal teenagers, except they have been through more than the average teenager. This paper is authored by the Alabama Department of Human Services.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/377826_foster05.html

This site talks about how even though these teenagers have been through traumatic experiences, they are still optimistic. Most of the teenagers say that the state treats them well. 83% are positive about there living situation. This article was written by John Iwasaki and Brad Wong. This is a useful site because it explains that most of these teens are happy where they are at right now.
http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/children/adolescenthealth/articles/aa_foster_homes.aspx

This site shows some of the reasons why teenagers might be foster care. It shows some of the problems that teens might have while in foster care and even after words. The people from MassGeneral Hospital for Children wrote this.
http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/icmh/archives/reports/Foster_care.pdf

This article on this site is about some of the mental problems that some children have. It also says some things about other problems foster parents might have with children. The authors are Beth Troutman, Ph.D, Susan Ryan, M.A., and Michelle Cardi, M.A.

Wordle #1

Animoto

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

http://animoto.com/play/yDdmbYfNsO8zCv4IAlnSdA

What I want to know about my topic

Why are there so many kids in foster care? Do little kids get more attention than the older kids in foster care? Do foster parents treat their biological children different than their foster children?

What I Already Know About My Topic

There are over 500 kids in foster care in South Carolina. South Carolina has the third highest rate for child abuse and the amount of kids in foster care. That is really bad. Kids who grow up being abused, neglected, or passed around from foster home to foster home somtimes end up having abandonment issues when they get older and as they are growing up. They also might have mental and physical problems depending on what their situation is or was.

The Story Behind My Topic

I chose to do a blog about teenagers in foster care because I feel that it is tougher for kids that are older to be in foster care than for kids that are younger.  Some people that are certified foster parents decide to only get certified to take in infants and toddlers. I feel that this is because people feel that teenagers carry more emotional baggage than the younger kids. Foster care is close to my heart because my parents are certified foster parents.