The foster care crisis in America is three-fold.  There are not enough quality families in America to support the children who need them.  Further, children with emotional and behavioral issues in the system are on the rise, creating a need for additional families in this already deteriorating situation.  To make matters worse, the recession in our country is directly affecting both biological and foster families as well as provider reimbursements, frontline caseworkers and mental health.

According to Faith Bridge Foster Care, there are not enough families for the children who need them.  Researchers for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) agree.  Due to the economy today, many cases in the need for foster care are due to the homelessness, poverty and unemployment growing rapidly.  Experts believe the need for foster care will rise as the economy worsens.  “Child welfare workers,” The Foster Club says, “are already seeing a rise in reported child abuse and neglect cases, as much as twenty percent in some areas.”  Unfortunately some foster families are simply unprepared for the upheaval of their family.  It is, according to the Faith Bridge Foster Care Agency, because of frequent agency visits, phone calls, court dates, and “seemingly endless paperwork,” plus the shock that the system does not have the sufficient support they need, forty to sixty percent of foster families leave the system within a year.  Without foster families in the system, some children will grow to adulthood and be left to fend for themselves with little to no influence of family structure and minimum skills for employment without any support system to ever fall back upon.  This could begin a cycle of uneducated youth released into the world to create families that are more probable to end up in the foster system due to the lack of care, funds, structure and etc. the first time through.

Because foster children are separated from their biological families, and often times separated from their siblings, after several months there is detachment issues these children acquire.  The longer they are away from their biological families, the harder it is for foster children to rebuild any sort of relationship, whether with their families, or later in life.  Because of this, foster children can lash out in different types of behavioral problems.  According to the DHS Medication Management Work Group, three times as many foster children, as opposed to other children, end up on psychotropic drugs in low-income families.  This can make foster children even more destabilized due to the treatment of their stress symptom rather than the root of that stress.

In nearly every state the amount of money needed for foster care far outweighs the government’s reimbursement rate due to the economic crisis our country is in today.  Not only is there an issue with foster children needing better mental health facilities, treatment programs and etc, but the issue worsens because the foster care system often cuts the budget in three major areas: provider reimbursements, frontline caseworkers and mental health.  This being said, in the case of these budget cuts, there would be less training for group home staff and parental training.  With fewer caseworkers there would be the probability of foster children being in more hazardous situations and an increased risk of trauma to those children. According to CHOP, children are often placed in foster care by availability rather than a good match for foster children and their long-term needs.  Some child protective agencies are requested to send children to government recruited homes rather than professional agencies to save on money.  Unfortunately these homes are not necessarily held to a set standard to validate said homes are the best place for the individual needs of those children.  Further, with the already unstable environments of some foster children, plus the budget cuts of mental health programs such as help and crisis lines, an increase in foster children’ suicides, pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse may follow.

In nearly every state the amount of money needed for foster care far outweighs the government’s reimbursement rate due to the economic crisis our country is in today.  According to NPR radio in March of 2010, over 1,000 children die of abuse and neglect every year; and to further chill our society, states with big deficits are cutting child abuse prevention programs when those programs are what various communities need to cut down on the ever growing death, neglect and abuse rates (some due to the recession to begin with).  And although researcher Rob Green, on behalf of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, states that the recession may not be a conclusive reason for the rise in child abuse and neglect.  The findings in November of 2010 by the researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia conclude that the economic downturn often hits the most vulnerable children and families the hardest.  It takes years of post recession for families to come back to the pre recession income levels.  Lower income families obviously take even longer to bounce back.  CHOP also explains that public programs play an incredibly important role in the keeping the families influenced by the recession in a less stressed environment, blocking more trauma for the usually already traumatized children and families involved in foster care.  In short, the most vulnerable foster children, foster families and programs supporting them would get the short end of the stick for years to come.

About the Author

As a researcher, Karen Jean Matsko Hood places her focus on child abuse and neglect and drug abuse.  She also researches to find possible solutions to these growing social problems. Hood has incorporated the studies of findings of research and drug abuse in families in her writings.  Hood’s research topics include such diverse topics as education, attachment disorder, attachment disorder therapy and treatment, the foster care system, human development, parenting, adoption, health, and historical topics.  Hood uses her B.S. Degree in Natural Science along with her research training in her Ph.D. program to conduct research on various plants and animal topics including equine, canine, and botanical research.

Hood resides in Greenacres, Washington, along with her husband, sixteen multi-racial and special needs children and foster children.  Her hobbies include cooking, baking, collecting various collectibles and antiques, photography, indoor and outdoor gardening, and the cultivation of unusual flowering plants and orchids.  She enjoys raising several specialty breeds of animals including Icelandic horses, bichon frises, cockapoos, Icelandic sheepdogs, and a few rescue cats.  Hood also enjoys bird-watching and finds all aspects of nature precious.  She demonstrates a passionate appreciation of the environment and a respect for all life.

For more information, you can contact the author at her office below:

Karen Jean Matsko Hood

507 N. Sullivan Rd. Suite LL-7

Spokane Valley, WA 99037 USA

Phone: (509) 924-3550 Fax: (509) 922-9949

karensblog.net

karenjeanmatskohood.com

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a child is borne every 4.2 seconds.   Out of the nearly four million births in the United States each year, 1.25 million children are abused.  Of those, four children die daily from abuse and neglect.  Sixty one percent of those children are victims of educational, physical and emotional neglect.   Forty four percent are victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.  The numbers alone are alarming.  And further still, those who do physically survive their abuse and neglect suffer emotionally and mentally from childhood, through adolescence and even into adulthood.

Anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders; these diagnoses are only a few of the words used to try to explain the effects of cruelty exhibited in mistreated children.  And although there are many mental illnesses that are treated and kept under control with medicine and/or therapy, some illnesses are more severe than others.  Attachment Disorder and Reactive Attachment Disorder require some of the most aggressive treatments, and although with years of hard work from doctors, parents, and of course, children, there is no cure.  Thus, when a child with these diagnoses are thrown into the system, there can be both great healing and success or, in an unfortunate reality, they are only further damaged by the instability of multiple foster homes and care givers.  One would think that those responsible for the well –being of abused and neglected children would take every precaution to not aggravate their already unstable mental conditions.

What reason, then, could the court system have for allowing a child diagnosed with Attachment Disorder and Reactive Attachment Disorder to continually move from home to home?  Considering these two disorders are both incurable, the idea of bouncing unstable children from foster home to foster home is absurd.  According to research from a myriad of therapists including the Mayo clinic, children suffering from attachment disorder view the world very differently than others; usually, these children view those around them as unpredictable and unavailable.  Because their original parent was unavailable, abusive, and rejecting, they feel that all care providers are.  Further, according to The Family Attachment and Counseling Center, one of the best therapies available to these children is a long and nurturing relationship with a trusting care provider.  It then, goes without saying that moving children with Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder multiple times only further damages their psyche.

So what would happen to a child who is continuously moved, and in their mind only further rejected from another parent figure(s)?  According to the Mayo Clinic,

“…there[s] little research on signs and symptoms of reactive attachment disorder beyond early childhood. It may lead to controlling, aggressive or delinquent behaviors, trouble relating to peers, and other problems. While treatment can help children and adults cope with reactive Attachment Disorder, the changes that occur during early childhood are permanent and the disorder is a lifelong challenge.”

And the changes these children suffer are immense.  The complications they experience include delayed learning, poor self-esteem, delinquent or antisocial behavior, relationship problems, temper or anger problems, depression, anxiety, physical growth, severe eating problems and malnutrition, academic problems, drug and alcohol addiction, inappropriate sexual behavior, and unemployment or frequent job changes.

The fact is, those children diagnosed with these issues can live a normal life with the help of one stable environment, a constant parental figure and therapy both parent and child actively attend and practice.  Up to ninety-two percent of families who actively work through therapy show significant improvement.

About the Author

Karen Jean Matsko Hood is not only a well rounded and educated person, but a role model for those around her.  She is not only an adoptive and foster mother of sixteen children, but is also a teacher, writer, researcher, poet, and friend to both humanity and the environment.  Through her books, readers from all walks of life will be touched and even inspired by the works Ms. Hood has chosen as her life’s path.  And as Ms. Hood invites you into her life and introduces you into her world in Washington State’s beautiful Spokane Valley, you will see how she is truly a legitimate source in the world of children’s rights, environmental preservation and motherhood.

For more information, you can contact the author at her office below:

Karen Jean Matsko Hood

507 N. Sullivan Rd. Suite LL-7

Spokane Valley, WA 99037 USA

Phone: (509) 924-3550 Fax: (509) 922-9949

karensblog.net

karenjeanmatskohood.com

This article and the helpful hints that follow may be very important information for caregivers of newborns.

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This appears to be a national issue.  I am on a workgroup with Seattle Children’s Hospital that has a goal of fully implementing The Period of PURPLE Crying, a promising prevention strategy, with the birthing hospitals in our state.

Study examines economy, baby abuse

By Amanda Pierce

Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 12:25 a.m. MDT

OGDEN — A weakened economy may be to blame for a rise in the number of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma cases, according to a new study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in May.

The study, conducted at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and headed by Dr. Rachel Berger, assistant professor of pediatrics, shows the additional stress on families during the economic downturn may cause parents to unintentionally injure their babies, according to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome located in Ogden.

According to the center, Berger’s study shows the number of shaken baby syndrome cases rose from 4.8 per month in December 2007, the start of the recession, to 9.3 per month since that date. In the study, 63 percent of the 512 cases of abusive head trauma from the four hospitals evaluated resulted in the child being admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. Sixteen percent resulted in death.

Brian Lopez, marketing director for the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, said the study is especially important to the state with the highest birth rate — Utah.

“Utah is well-known for being family-friendly and hungry for information that can lead to better care for their children,” Lopez said.

One of the center’s programs, the Period of PURPLE Crying, was created in 2002 and first implemented in 2007 after three years of testing, he said.

The goal of the program is to help educate parents about the period of PURPLE crying, a developmental stage all infants experience, by distributing free 10-minute DVDs and 11-page informational booklets to new parents.

During this normal developmental stage, an infant may cry for up to five hours without cause, Lopez said. This stage begins when the newborn is 2 weeks old and ends when he or she is 4-5 months old.

Dr. Ronald Barr, a developmental pediatrician, came up with the PURPLE acronym, which stands for: peak of crying, unexpected, resists soothing, pain-like face, long lasting and evening.

According to the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, the acronym is supposed to help parents realize the baby’s crying will increase over time, come and go sporadically, continue despite the parents’ attempts to soothe the child, create the impression of pain when there is none, last five or more hours per day and peak in the evening when the parents are more likely to be tired.

“The program creates an easy way for parents and caregivers to understand the normalcy of early infant crying through the use of the PURPLE acronym,” Lopez said. “This information gives parents realistic expectations of crying as it pertains to a new infant.”

Utah was the first state to implement a statewide PURPLE program. As of 2009, all birthing hospitals in Utah have the program, Lopez said.

Since its creation, the PURPLE program has spread to 289 hospitals and organizations and is now present in 45 states.

“It’s important for people to share the PURPLE message with parents and caregivers of new babies,” Lopez said. “We ask that people take an easy, online pledge promising to talk to anyone who cares for a baby about the Period of PURPLE Crying.”

To take the pledge or for more information visit www.purplecrying.info.

Tips to Soothe Your Crying Infant

1. Feed your baby. Hunger is the main reason a baby will cry.

2. Burp your baby. Babies do not have a natural ability to get rid of air built up in their stomach.

3. Swaddle your baby. Learn more about swaddling by clicking here

4. Give your baby a lukewarm bath. A great soothing technique, but remember to never leave your baby unattended.

5. Massage your baby. A gentle massage on a baby back, arms, or legs can be very comforting.

6. Give your baby a pacifier. Use sparingly, because if used when your baby isn’t crying, it may prove to be ineffective.

7. Make eye contact with your baby and smile. Eye-to-eye contact with your baby when they are crying can distract and comfort them.

8. Kiss your baby. This can help lessen the tension during fierce crying episodes.

9. Kiss the bottom of your baby’s feet. A baby’s feet are one of the most sensitive spots on their body, light kisses on their feet can help turn a challenging situation into a happy one.

10. Sing Softly. Lullabies were created because of their effectiveness at calming crying babies.

11. Reassure your baby with soft words like “it’s ok”. This can help comfort you and your baby during a difficult crying episode.

12. Hum in a low tone against your baby’s head. Dad’s usually do this soothing feature best.

13. Run a Vacuum Cleaner. The noise from a vacuum is referred to as white noise which is any sound produces a loud, neutral, masking sound. Babies find these noises hypnotizing.

14. Run a Dishwasher. Dishwashers have different cycles of white noise which some infants find soothing.

15. Take your baby for a ride in the car. The vibrations from a car have a sleep inducing effect on babies. Always make sure your baby is secure in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat.

16. Rock your baby in a rocker. Rocking your baby in a chair can be very relaxing for you and your baby.

17. Push your baby in a stroller. A stroller ride is the next best thing to a ride in a car.

18. Place your baby in a car seat on top of a running dryer. This is a classic soothing technique, but use caution. Never leave your baby unattended.

19. Put your baby underneath a lighted mobile. The sounds, lights and movements of a mobile can be very amusing and entertaining for a baby.

20. Dance Slowly. Dancing can be fun for both you and your baby and allows for a variety of soothing movements.

The list above is not an all inclusive list as there are many other things you can try to calm your baby’s crying.  Remember… while many of these techniques will work most of the time, nothing works all the time and that is okay.  This does not mean there is anything wrong with you or your baby.

2955 Harrison Blvd.     • Suite 102     • Ogden, UT 84403     • Phone: (801)627-3399     • Fax: (801)627-3321     • mail@purplecrying.info

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