Foster {Don't} Care System (Blog Post#9)

Observe: In class this week we discussed the "foster care-to-prison pipeline". I decided to do a little more research on the subject and found some shocking statistics. For instance, about 66% of children who age out of foster care wind up in jail, homeless, or dead within one year.  

Reflect: The foster care system is intended to help kids by removing them from dangerous situations and placing them with people that will properly care for them. Unfortunately the system is, as most government systems are, flawed. Foster families have the potential to be abusive just like biological families. They may not feel any bond with the children they are caring for and they may not be understanding of various behavioral attributes that are more common among children in the foster care system, due to their difficult background. Children in foster care have not only been witness to or the victims of abuse, but they are also removed from the life that they have always known and forced to live with other relatives or strangers. 

It is disappointing that the foster care system has been in place for so long, but has not been altered in order to prevent such tragic statistics. Children are often times not given enough of a voice when they are in the system. They are not given the chance to say that they want to leave their families and even if that is what they want they are not given the opportunity to choose their foster family. All of these important decisions are being made for them which only adds to the frustration that most of them feel. This frustration causes some foster children to run away to a shelter or to the streets where they are likely to engage in illegal activity that lands them in jail. It's a sad journey and I would be thrilled to see the process change so that the kids affected by it can have better lives as the system intends to, but rarely does, give them.

Testing Tots (Blog Post#8)

Observe: I recently came across a link that shocked me. It discusses how New York schools are being required to administer a new standardized test to kindergartener's. The tests have already started to be implemented, but schools aren't required to administer the exam until this coming spring.

Reflect: If I recall correctly, when I was kindergarten my biggest worry was that the center I wanted to play in would be full. I honestly cannot imagine the stress that these tests must be putting on the tiny children that are taking them. Kindergarten is the time when kids are creating their knowledge base, they're learning numbers, the ABC's,  etc. If I was given a standardized test in kindergarten I'm sure I would have failed it. The last picture I saw colored by a 5 year old looked something like this: 

So I'm really not sure how they can be expected to color in a tiny bubble to mark their answer. I'm a junior in college and I still make scantron mistakes, but I recognize them and can change them whereas a kindergartener probably doesn't think they made a mistake at all. Another thing that the article mentions is that teachers are struggling to teach students not to share answers. All their lives they have been taught that sharing is good and kind. They share their toys and their crayons so why should they not share their test responses? At such a young age these conflicting messages are more than confusing and the teachers know this. The teachers dislike the exams and believe that they are unfair but they don't seem to know what to do about them. Seems to me like they might need someone to show them a few resources and teach them how to IMAGINE a change...

Shutting it Down...Literally (Blog Post#7)

Observe: So the government is in a shutdown...still. I subscribe to theSkimm and the email they sent out today contained this link right --> here. The article talks about the current state of the shutdown and the deals that seems to be constantly in progress, yet not really going anywhere.

Reflect: Let me start by saying that I do not keep up with politics and our government nearly as much as I should and therefore I still don't really have a grasp on why the shutdown occurred in the first place or why it is still in effect. That being said, my first reaction to the shutdown was that the government was trying to outdo every two-year old in the world by throwing the largest temper tantrum.

I have to admit that after reading the article my opinion didn't change much. I saw Congressional members as being older than 2, but only slightly. The conversations seemed similar to exchanges I witness between students that are about 3-4 years of age at the daycare center where I work. The section discussing conservative Republican's complaints after Boehner's proposal had me flashing back to a fight between two kiddos...

Kid#1: "Miss Saraaaaa! He won't give me all the puppets and I want them!"
Kid#2: "I was playing with them first and I'm not done with them. I gave her one puppet already."
Me: "Well you each only have two hands, so what if you each get just two puppets? That way you each have one for both of your hands."
Kids shouting over top of each other: "No, no, no! I want them!"

Clearly, much like these 3 year olds, our government officials are having a hard time compromising. At least it only took me a few more minutes to persuade the kids that no one needs all the puppets and that since they were friends they should be kind and share. The government on the other hand is on day 16 and counting. Here's hoping they figure out how to put on their big kid pants and compromise pretty soon.

**Ask and you shall receive, I woke up the morning after I wrote this post to discover that a deal had finally been made**

Judgmental Giving (Blog Post#6)

Observe: In class we watched a clip of one of Brené Brown's Lifeclasses with Oprah. In is she says that if we cannot ask for help without judging ourselves then we can never truly give help without judging the people we are helping. 

Reflect: As a social worker this sent my brain flying! After graduating I want to work with children to help them improve their confidence and to work through any challenging events they might be facing. This clip made me fear that I would be judging the very kids I so want to help, so I quickly started going through every memory I had of asking for help and also of giving back. Naturally, the first memories that came back to me were of times when I gave help. Then I began recalling the times when I asked for help. One moment in particular stands out in my mind I am actually quite proud of. I never thought I would be proud of myself for asking for help, but looking back it was one of the best things I ever did for myself. My parents were divorcing each other (for the second time) and at the same time I was having some serious problems in my relationship with my then boyfriend. I decided that I needed someone to talk to and I sought out a counselor. She really helped me establish boundaries with everyone in my life and her constant validation left me with the very pleasant sensation of feeling normal, for that I will be forever grateful. This memory thrilled me because it was a time that I asked for help and didn't judge myself for it in the slightest. Now I'm not perfect and there have been plenty of times when I struggled to ask for help, but this moment let me know that it was possible. I can request help without judging myself and I can give help without judging others which means my minor freakout was not needed. Although, I am glad that it occurred because it gave me time to reflect on this memory as well as others. 

Getting Help to Give Help (Blog Post#5)

Observe: In my social justice class we discussed the idea of being an ally. We talked about what it meant and how people become allies. We all agreed that in order to be an ally you first have to ask people what they want from you, rather than coming in and telling them what you are going to do to help them.

Reflect: As social workers it can sometimes be difficult to resist the urge to jump right in and make changes that we believe will be helpful to others. However, this act can actually be off-putting to the very people we desire to assist. It can cause them to see us as outsiders looking in and it can also cause a lack of trust. If they do not feel involved in the changes that are happening then they won't always see the benefit of said changes. They may even feel like a charity case because they believe that we view ourselves as being better than them. We want our clients to feel comfortable with they changes that we help them create in their lives so it is extremely important to first ask our clients what they need or want us to do. We typically don't think about asking for help before giving it but in reality that is the best strategy we can take when working with our clients. They know their lives and their struggles far better than we do, so they are the experts on what changes are necessary. Once we ask what they feel needs to be done we can then help them connect with the resources in their area that will be able to help make the change that they desire. This type of involvement makes people feel empowered and leads to a positive (and equal) relationship between social workers and their clients.