New Article Series - Child Welfare Wisdom

The guest author of Child Welfare Wisdom is a current leader and administrator with over 3 decades of experience in public child welfare. The author will be regularly offering commentary reflecting the wisdom and perspective gained from a long-time passion for and commitment to public child welfare issues.

Any of the opinions expressed within Child Welfare Wisdom do not necessarily represent those of ACTION for Child Protection, Inc. or any of its staff.

Thinking About Children in Custody
 
A number of years ago my siblings and I began using the phrase “Creeping into Old Cootism” to refer to the inevitability of the aging process and the differences we noticed in each other. It seemed to us that a little good-natured teasing might help us as we coped with the changes that growing older entail. And make no mistake about it , we are not ageists or old coot bashers. We are passionately concerned about saving Social Security and Medicare as well as worried about our increasing difficulty driving at night.
 
Now I have been asked to share some reflections on Child Welfare as a result of my long career in public welfare and my increasingly senior status. This is the first installment and if it is off the mark I promise not to subject you to any more of my ramblings.
 
By any objective standard we are not where we want to be in Child Protective Services, Foster Care or Adoption. I am not overlooking the many beneficial changes that have occurred over the past 30 years and I am certainly not blaming the thousand of caseworkers who selflessly struggle to protect children. Nevertheless, anyone in their right mind is not satisfied with the current state of affairs.
 
A part of the problem is the way we look at the services we provide, especially to children in custody. We describe children who have been involuntarily removed as being in the custody of this or that department or agency. When the discussion among staff from different divisions within the same department hits rock bottom, there are comments about your children.
 
I suggest a campaign to reeducate the President, Governors, Members of Congress and State Legislatures for a start. The theme would be that children are committed to the custody of the state and as such Governors and Legislators are the surrogate parents of these children. It is a little bit of a stretch when you come to the President and Congress but since they pay for a part of the care of these children perhaps we could suggest that they see themselves as an uncle or grandfather.
 
Every now and then I see a bumper sticker that says my son is an honor student or I am the proud parent of an honor student. Governors and the President could be encouraged to put bumper stickers on their limos that read I am the proud parent of x thousands of children and every one of them is safe. In addition, every one of these children is or will be in a permanent living arrangement. Now I know that I am suggesting a pretty big bumper sticker but if you are the parent of thousands of children you should have a lot to say.
 
Stressing the importance of the family is a staple of political speeches. There are lots of standard references to families as the foundation of society, the bedrock of our county and the future of our civilization. As the need or the opportunity arises these and other catch phrases are trotted out for another airing.
 
I believe that it would be a wonderful start for the President and Governors to say that I am the surrogate parent for thousands of children. Like any good parent I think about my children constantly. I am committed to making sure that all of my children are safe and well treated.
 
This might be naïve but as long as children in custody are our children, safety, permanency and well-being will continue to be laudable but unachievable goals.