Friday, January 22, 2021
Subscriber Login
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber LogIn
    • Join us – Subscribe Today
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Community
    • Covid-19 Updates
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Obituaries
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
  • Classifieds
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber LogIn
    • Join us – Subscribe Today
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home Capital District Family Now Parent Pages Parenting Columns

THE 24-HOUR SHIFT: Support foster families, MYOB

Spotlight News by Spotlight News
August 9, 2019
in Parenting Columns
0
THE 24-HOUR SHIFT: A little empathy goes far

Theresa Davis

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By THERESA DAVIS

Have you ever been curious as to why a child you know has been taken away from their birth parents?  I have mentioned this briefly in previous columns and told everyone not to ask. That’s still a no, by the way. Don’t ask. The family may not be able to tell you, or they may want to respect the child’s privacy. Besides, we all know you want to know what “sort” of child they are. So nope, we’re not going there.

That being said, Child Protective Services doesn’t go around town taking children away from their homes like stray puppies. For one thing, they can’t. For another thing, CPS’s main concern is to keep families together, even when the child is removed from the home. A foster parent is told from the start that it is part of their job to help the family reunite.

There are two main reasons for removal from the birth family, abuse and neglect. Abuse is fairly straightforward. Neglect can get fuzzy, but that’s why we rely on the laws and the fact that no one needs evidence to report it. That’s why the phrase “suspected” child abuse or neglect is used. Either way, something terrible happened to this child or family that is so extreme the child was removed. That’s all you need to know.  Trust us, we know more than we want to, and we’ve seen more than we want to. We don’t wish the same on anyone. This isn’t TV, you don’t need to know the details.

When a child enters a friend or family member’s home, it’s not the time to judge the foster family, the foster child, nor the foster child’s birth family. It’s not the time to ask the family why the child is “acting like that.”  It’s not the time to offer advice on discipline. (Think about it: How do you think a child who has been beaten is going to react to spanking? How do you think traumatizing an already traumatized child with spanking or hitting going to benefit them? Write me an essay. Use examples.) It’s not the time to disrespect the family by not including the foster child in family events. They are part of the family just as much as anyone else is.

Support the family by inclusion in all family events and traditions. Do everything you can to make the foster child feel welcome. Embarrass them with a crazy family reunion T-shirt too! No one gets away with not wearing one! Offer to take pictures for the scrapbook the child takes with them for visits. If a child does act out, let the foster family handle it. There is most likely a certain way the child needs to be dealt with. I will warn you, in some instances it looks like the parents are spoiling the foster child. I may get to that another time. Trust the foster parents, and the foster child.

Tags: Spotlight Parent Pagesthe 24 hour shift
Previous Post

Modified flavor ban would exempt pipe tobacco, expensive cigars and onsite hookah lounges

Next Post

SHOW MONEY WHO’S BOSS: How things add up

Next Post
SHOW MONEY WHO’S BOSS: How things add up

SHOW MONEY WHO'S BOSS: How things add up

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

  • 7k Fans
  • 4.6k Fans
  • 608 Fans
  • 357 Subscribers

Recent News

Albany man seen at BLM and Back the Blue protests arrested on weapon charges

Albany man seen at BLM and Back the Blue protests arrested on weapon charges

January 22, 2021
Albany County breaks hospitalization record; three more deaths

January on track to being the deadliest month in Albany County

January 22, 2021
Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

January 22, 2021
GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Phased Reopening, Expanded Hours

GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Cartooning workshop

January 21, 2021

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
POLL: 75 percent plan to get vaccinated; nearly half say Sen. Schumer will have a positive impact as majority leader

POLL: 75 percent plan to get vaccinated; nearly half say Sen. Schumer will have a positive impact as majority leader

January 20, 2021
Albany County vaccinates 375 at TU center

Albany County vaccinates 375 at TU center

January 8, 2021
Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

January 22, 2021
Pair arrested after luring man to Colonie hotel and robbing him, allegedly

Pair arrested after luring man to Colonie hotel and robbing him, allegedly

January 18, 2021
Albany man seen at BLM and Back the Blue protests arrested on weapon charges

Albany man seen at BLM and Back the Blue protests arrested on weapon charges

January 22, 2021
Albany County breaks hospitalization record; three more deaths

January on track to being the deadliest month in Albany County

January 22, 2021
Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

Moriah Formica debuts new all-female band, Plush

January 22, 2021
GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Phased Reopening, Expanded Hours

GUILDERLAND LIBRARY: Cartooning workshop

January 21, 2021
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • Sports
  • The Spot 518
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Subscribe
  • Log In
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login

© 2021 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949