Wanted: Foster parents

Stiff placement requirements hinder most CNMI families to take on children needing foster care, the state-run Division of Youth Services disclosed yesterday, recently marking the end of its month-long campaign against child abuse and neglect.

Foster Care Coordinator Debra Inos said it isn’t due to the community’s unwillingness that the agency has trouble finding foster homes for children over 12 years old.

DYS admitted the list of requirements under foster placements is strict and limited based on certain criteria.

“When children are removed from their home and placed under our care, there is a higher expectation for the state to care for these children. So we are required to find the best homes for these kids,” said Ms. Inos.

Families expressing desire to get involved in the life of a foster child are carefully scrutinized by DYS to protect the child from further harm.

The agency requires that a family be financially capable to assume responsibilities as foster parents.

DYS also ensures that the family’s background is stable enough to handle challenges brought about by an additional member of the family.

“I would not recommend a placement if there’s a permanent record against a certain family,” said Ms. Inos.

A home assessment is a routinary procedure for DYS before families are approved to take a child into their homes for either a six-month placement or more.

Over the years, CNMI families have shown interest on DYS’s foster care program but lacked “commitment” to see through the task, according to Ms. Inos.

“Families find it difficult to commit to the responsibilities of being foster parents,” she said.

The youth services specifically has problems placing children under a six-month or more home placement program due to the added amount of responsibility.

The agency usually finds it more of a challenge finding foster homes for kids under 12 years of age.

Taking in teenagers poses more challenges to most parents, as this is the stage when behavioral problems are pervasive.

“Parents are not usually ready to address alcoholism, teen crimes, and certain behavioral concerns,” said Ms. Inos.

Foster care, a program with the intent of placing distressed children inside neutral nurturing environments with expert caretakers, has been instrumental in helping some 50 children all over the CNMI since it was created 15 years ago.

Ms. Inos, an expert program coordinator who has been with youth services for four years, said every child taken out of his/her home regardless of whether he/she was abused or not, is a scared child.

She added a child develops certain insecurities when placed in settings other than what he/she originally grew up in.

“There’s a lot of insecurity for a child to be with other family members. And my role as a foster care coordinator is to ease that insecurity. To help that foster child at the same time the foster parent on how to deal with child in terms of separation, attachment,” said Ms. Inos.

More public awareness has taught the CNMI community to be more intolerant of child abuse and neglect, according Ms. Inos. Studies show that most of the cases of physical abuse (other than sexual abuse) result from lack of parenting skills.

Ms. Inos added if parents and future parents only took time to seek help from agencies and experts on how children are properly handled, such abuse and neglect cases would be less than the rate it is at today.

DYS’s “common sense parenting” is one public awareness program that teaches parents to be more informed on dealing with child behavior, according to Ms. Inos.

“The program is ongoing at the DYS foster care unit in Garapan and every parent is welcome to attend,” she said.