Fostering Change: Alliance for NH Foster Parents has been fielding concerns from foster parents since its inception three months ago. The influx of stories surfacing from concerned foster parents indicates that the Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) in New Hampshire is needlessly inflicting trauma on the state’s most vulnerable population by abruptly and unnecessarily moving them to new placements.
New Hampshire’s foster parents and concerned citizens are advocating for foster care reform and have proposed through the state’s legislature that a Foster Child Bill of Rights and Foster Parent Bill of Rights be made into law.
The body of research has existed for decades about how children learn, grow and develop into healthy, emotionally secure adults. Many foster parents in the Granite State have concerns not only about the way they themselves have been treated, but the way the child welfare system purports to act in a child’s best interests.
Trauma-informed care is not as commonplace as it should be, especially for young children who can’t speak up for themselves. Child protection agencies around the country are recognizing the value behind partnering with foster parents as part of the foster care crisis. Foster parents devote their time, money and hearts to help protect and support children in need. Empowering them to better engage with the system brings value to family preservation.
To read more of the Chronicle Webpage, visit, http://www.socialjusticesoluti...ement-children-care/
Sean Morrison is a New Hampshire State Representative, firefighter and an Iraq War veteran who has served the U.S. Army in three combat tours of duty. Sean and his wife have been foster parents for three years.
By Guest Writer
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