Statistics Half of all American children will witness the
breakup of a parents marriage. Of these, close to half will also
see the breakup of a parents second marriage. (Furstenberg,
Peterson, Nord, and Zill, Life Course) Compared to children from
homes disrupted by death, children from divorced homes have more
psychological problems. (Robert E. Emery, Marriage, Divorce and
Childrens Adjustment Sage Publications, 1988) Following divorce,
children are fifty percent more likely to develop health problems
than two parent families. (Angel, Worobey, Single Motherhood and
Childrens Health) A study of children six years after a parental
marriage breakup revealed that even after all that time, these
children tended to be lonely, unhappy, anxious and insecure.
(Wallerstein The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children Journal
of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1991)
People who come from broken homes are almost twice as likely to
attempt suicide than those who do not come from broken homes.
(Velez-Cohen, Suicidal Behavior and Ideation in a Community Sample
of Children Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry 1988) Children of divorced parents are roughly two times
more likely to drop out of high school than their peers who benefit
from living with parents who did not divorce. (McLanahan, Sandefur,
Growing Up With a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps Harvard
University Press 1994)
Slide 3
Factors that may influence how a child reacts to a divorce. Age
Infants Pre-school Elementary Teens Gender Female Male
Slide 4
Infants Infants obviously do not know know what is going on and
dont understand conflict, however they can sense a parents mood and
energy level, which can cause them to get upset stomachs and or
lose their appetite.
Slide 5
Pre-schoolers (3-5) Often feel like they are the reason why
their parents have decided to get a divorce, and tend to blame it
on themselves. Security is a huge thing to them and they might look
to their baby blanket or something like that as a source of
comfort. They might also experience more anger, depression, and
they might even start wetting the bed
Slide 6
Elementary Are believed to have the hardest time adjusting to a
parents divorce compared to all other ages. They are old enough to
realize the change and feel the pain of the divorce, yet they are
still too young to control and understand the pain they are
feeling. Often times these children may feel a sense of rejection
from the parent who left. They may also experience divided loyalty,
as well as intense ager, embarrassment, and resentment. They also
tend to hope that their parents will eventually get back
together
Slide 7
Teenagers Often feel that since they are so close to adulthood
that they should take initiative and start helping with, or take
over the family. Since teens are old enough to understand the
causes that led to their parents divorce they often feel pressured
to choose a side, where they believe one parent was the cause of
the divorce. Teens will start to doubt their ability to get married
and hold a healthy relationship in the future. They also experience
fear, loneliness, depression, and anger.
Slide 8
Gender It is proven that boys who grow up with and are raised
by a male, and girls who grow up with and are raised by a woman are
more likely to do better than those children who are raised by the
opposite sex. Boys raised by a male are more likely to be less
aggressive, and have fewer emotional problems than a boy raised by
a female. Girls who are raised by a woman tend to be more mature
and responsible rather than if they were being raised by a
male.
Slide 9
Helping children adjust to divorce. TALK TO THEM! Talk to
children about your concerns related to the divorce. This will help
them understand what is happening. Day-to-day involvement of both
parents in their childrens lives is the clearest way of letting
children know they are loved and valued. Be clear with the children
about the finality of the divorce, and discourage their attempts to
get you back together. Children need to exercise, eat nutritious
food, spend time with friends or take up a hobby. Counseling with
social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or
psychiatrists can help some children. Many schools and religious
organizations also provide support group sessions. In these
situations children can explore their feelings and learn how other
children from divorced families cope.
Slide 10
It often takes 2 or more years for a child to get through a
divorce All children will handle a divorce differently Some may
have long term effects, while others only experience short term
effects.
Slide 11
Short term effects Depression Anger Sadness Loneliness Acting
out Stress Lower academic achievement
Slide 12
Long-term effects Fear of betrayal Trust issues Fear of
commitment and intimacy Fear of rejection A HUGE fear of repeating
his or her parents failure to maintain their marriage
Slide 13
Since the amount of people getting a divorce is so high, as
future teachers it is important that we know how to deal with a
divorce in order to help guide the children whos parents may be
going through a divorce.
Slide 14
Adoption Lexy Silva Adoption By Lexy Silva
Slide 15
Adoption Definition Taking a child and making the child ones
own
Slide 16
History of Adoption The number of adoptions has increased from
1957 peaking at 175,000 in 1970 and then decreasing to around
125,000 a year today. 2% of children living in the U.S. are adopted
and 4% of families in the U.S. have an officially recognized
adopted child.
Slide 17
Process of Adoption Essentially, adoption sets up a legal
parent relationship between a single or pair of adults that are not
their biological parents. They get the full legal rights and
responsibilities as biological parents. Potential adoptive parents
have to complete a home study, which is an assessment to see if the
parents are ready for adoption.
Slide 18
Types of Adoption Foster care adoption(37%)-adopted from foster
care under the supervision of child protective services Private
domestic adoption(38%)- adopted privately within the U.S. and not
in foster care, handled independently or through private adoption
agencies International adoption(25%)-adopted outside of the U.S.
handled by private U.S. agencies coordinating with the other
nations adoption agency
Slide 19
Type of Adoptions Closed or confidential- no information is
shared between the birth and adoptive parents after adoptive
placement Open adoption -fully disclosed adoption-information
shared directly between the adoptive and biological parents through
phone calls, letters, or face to face meetings -mediated adoption-
information is exchanged between adoptive and birth families
through an adoption agency staff member
Slide 20
Positives of Adoption In most cases adoption ends in a
win-win-win situation where the whole triad is content(biological
parents, adoptive parents, and adoptee). 88% of adopted children 6
and up exhibit positve social behavior More likely to have positive
and enriching experiences than the general population 81% of
adopted childrens parents report their relationship is warm and
close 85% of adopted childrens health is reported to be excellent
or very good.
Slide 21
Issues of Adoption Physical Issues -Most adopted children are
born to young, unmarried mothers who dont receive enough prenatal
care -Low birth weight=emotional & behavioral issues -Young
mothers may drink, smoke, and receive inadequate nutrition -Mothers
stress of the pregnancy may result in physiological issues.
-Physical health issues more prominent in international adoptees
who lived in unhealthy conditions
Slide 22
Psychodynamic issues Most prominent psychodynamic issues in
adoptees are issues of loss, separation, abandonment, trust,
betrayal, rejection, worth and identity, and especially attachment
issues.
Slide 23
Attachment Primal wound- bond between mother and infant in
utero is immediately severed only bond the child knows Infant may
face challenges forming secure attachment relationships with
adoptive parents or may have difficulty separating from their
parents later in their childhood Attachment issues depend on how
well the child bonds in the first few monthes Completely different
story if the child is adopted later in their life
Slide 24
Trust Issues Severe feelings of abandonment when separated from
their mother at birth Loss of mother disallows the achievement of
basic trust Since basic trust versus basic mistrust is the first
step in Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development, not
fulfilling this step will result in trust issues throughout the
childs life in all relationships
Slide 25
Other Possible Issues Trouble overcoming the Oedipus complex of
the phallic stage of Sigmund Freuds psychosexual development model
because the parent-child relationship isnt biological so the
boundaries arent as clear -trouble distinguishing maternal vs.
romantic relationship Identity Issues in Adolescence - genealogical
bewilderment- secrecy and deception with adoption -since they dont
know where they came from they have trouble answering the common
Who am I? question
Slide 26
Issues All of these psychodynamic issues of adoptees tend to
interfere with later adult interpersonal relationships and
especially intimacy Very mixed research of psychodynamic issues
because every situation is different
Slide 27
Raising an Adopted Child Form healthy and strong attachment
relationship If you recognize psychodynamic issues seek
professional help Open communication and truth No exact age to
discuss their adoption, just not to late and not too soon. Many
discussions should be held of time. Finding biological parents-be
supportive and let it be their decision, but make sure expectations
are realistic
Slide 28
Claire Kirkpatrick Orphanages
Slide 29
What is an ORPHANAGE? Childrens Rights (contemporary)
Definition: An orphanage is a residential childcare facility that
is intended to care for children from the time of their admission
until their maturity or emancipation, and which holds itself out as
an acceptable or superior substitute for the childrens families. It
does not function as a family resource center to reunify families
or work to help children live in alternate families; nor does it
provide comprehensive professional treatment services for children
to address their emotional, behavioral, or other problems.
Orphanages serve as an alternative to adoption and foster care. Of
the 542,000 children in foster care in September 2001, 10 percent
(56,509 children and youth) were living in institutional
settings.
Slide 30
Why? There are several different reasons a child might end up
in an orphanage. Poor economic situation, poverty Parental illness,
mental and or physical Drug or alcohol abuse by the parents Mental
retardation Incarceration Termination of parental rights because of
neglect or abuse Political and economic policies of different
countries (one child policy) Complicated medical conditions that
the family can not care for.
Slide 31
History The first recorded orphanage dates back to the 1 st
Century. Orphanotrophia. 18 th and 19 th Century, orphanages
prevail through the funding and support of religious organizations.
Over time orphanages begin to dissolve due to concern about poor
conditions and low standard of care. Compared to todays definition,
historically orphanages were referred to as asylums and mental
health institutions. (Think Oliver Twist or Annie) Over the past
few decades, these large orphanages have been replaced by smaller
institutions that resemble boarding schools. Most are regulated by
either the government or other religious institutions therefore
allaying concern about low standards of living.
Slide 32
Leading Examples of Orphanages SOS (2 Villages in Illinois and
one in Florida) SOS Children's Villages is the world's largest
charity dedicated to orphaned and abandoned children. SOS provides
a home for 78,000 children in 132 countries. Large celebrity
following Award winning (Nobel Peace Prize Nominations and many
others) Milton Hershey School (Hershey, Pennsylvania) Residential
school, where children are referred by their parents, the state, or
a social service agency. Jonah House (Idaho) Family who is caring
for a dozen foster children who are awaiting adoption. They have no
experience commissioning an orphanage other than raising their own
children.
Slide 33
Advantages 1. Orphanages can provide a stable and consistent
environment for children. 2. Proper nutrition and health care is
provided. 3. Children are able to escape possible harm or neglect
from a parent or guardian.
Slide 34
Disadvantages 1. When children are placed in institutional
settings, potential adoptive family resources are not available.
(60% of children in foster care are adopted by their foster
parents.) 2. Lack of experiences can cause delay in cognitive and
emotional development. Unfortunately, because there is no
replacement for the one-on-one care of a mother, this problem is
even seen in the most contemporary orphanages. 3. Emotional neglect
is experienced by many of the children due to the group settings in
which they are always submerged. 4. Unusual self-stimulating
behavior, such as head banging and rocking back and forth. This
type of behavior is displayed in order to complete sensory
development that is crucial to brain function. 5. Poor
psychological and social growth, which usually causes personality
disorders.
Slide 35
It comes as no surprise to most, that there is nothing
significantly advantageous about growing up in an orphanage.
Although many childrens lives have been positively impacted by the
care given in these homes, nothing replaces the experience of
growing up with a mother and father. Do your part to help!
Slide 36
Foster Care By: Brittany Rupp
Slide 37
What is Foster Care? When children have to be placed outside
their home, and there is not an appropriate non-custodial parent or
relative willing and able to care for them and there are not any
close family friends that the court can give temporary legal
possession, the court will ask Child Protective Services (CPS) to
place the child temporarily in a foster care setting: Foster home
Group home Residential group care facility A facility under the
authority of another state agency
Slide 38
Foster Care Is meant to be a temporary situation until a
permanent living arrangement can be obtained. The foster care
placement may become the permanent placement for the child.
Children in foster care come from varied backgrounds and different
family situations, but all are in foster care because, for some
reason, their parents are unable to care for them
Slide 39
Requirements to be a foster parent At least 21 years of age All
adults in household are subject to a criminal background check and
a clearance by the State Central Registry for Abuse and Neglect.
Must have a your own source of income The house must be large
enough, free from health and safety hazards, and comfortably
accommodating to child Must attend training sessions to learn about
issues of abused and neglected children Must be willing to provide
care and guidance on a daily basis to a child in need
Slide 40
Startling Facts EVERYDAY IN AMERICA: 8,200 children are
reported abused, neglected or abandoned 500 children are placed in
foster care or institutions 5 children die from physical abuse
Slide 41
Startling Facts On average, children stay in the system for
about three years (38 months) before either being reunited with
their families or adopted. Almost 20 percent wait five years or
more. Children have on average three different foster care
placements. Frequent moves in and out of the homes of strangers can
be profoundly unsettling for children, and it is not uncommon to
hear of children who have been in 20 or 30 different homes. Many
have been separated not only from their parents, but from their
siblings.
Slide 42
Statistics On September 30, 2004, 518,000 children were in the
U.S. foster care system. Most children are placed in foster care
temporarily due to parental abuse or neglect. A record 304,000
children entered the system in 2004, according to one study. Much
of the rise was due to methamphetamine use. Experts estimate that
80 to 90 percent of foster care placements can be traced to
substance abuse. About 40,000 infants are placed in foster care
every year. 123,000 children are currently available for adoption.
More than 20,000 children each year never leave the system -- they
remain in foster care until they "age out." Thirty percent of the
homeless in America and about 25 percent of those in prison were
once in foster care. 44 percent (or about 241,000 children) have
reunification with their birth families as their case goal. 48
percent were in foster family homes (non-relative), 24 percent were
in relative foster homes, 18 percent were in group homes or
institutions, 4 percent were in pre-adoptive homes, and 6 percent
were in other placement types.
Slide 43
Statistics from 2008 Number of children In foster care on Sep.
30, 2008 = 463,000 Who entered foster care during FY 2008 =273,000
In foster care that had their parental rights terminated = 75,000
Race/ethnicity of the children in foster care 31% Black 20%
Hispanic 40% White
Slide 44
Children often struggle with blaming themselves and feeling
guilty about removal from their birth parents wishing to return to
birth parents even if they were abused by them feeling unwanted if
awaiting adoption for a long time feeling helpless about multiple
changes in foster parents over time having mixed emotions about
attaching to foster parents feeling insecure and uncertain about
their future reluctantly acknowledging positive feelings for foster
parents
Slide 45
Affects on the Child Early brain and child development
Attachment Response to stress Emotional distress (Neglect) Fine and
gross motor skills, cognition, speech and language function,
self-help abilities, coping skills, relationships, and
behavior.
Slide 46
How we can help EVERYONE Can contribute to make a difference
for a child or teen in foster care! EVERYONE Can contribute to make
a difference for a child or teen in foster care! Be a foster parent
or an adoptive parent Volunteer Become an advocate in court Be a
mentor Contribute financially Donate supplies
Slide 47
By: Robert Deck Childcare
Slide 48
Who Is Involved With Childcare? Care givers Nanny Au pair
Friends and family Childcare centers Age(0-16) Infants Pre-school
Elementary Teens Gender(both) Female Male
Slide 49
What is Childcare? Childcare(baby care)- is the act of caring
for and supervising children from 0-16 years of age. In the U.S.
child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood
education, this is because of the better understanding of the
impact of early experiences of the developing child. Child care is
a large topic that covers a wide varity of contexts, activities,
social and cultural conventions, and institutions.
Slide 50
Childcare Continued Many American families are two-job
households, and this means that childcare is often delegated to
child care providers or day cares on a full-time or part-time
basis. The three main types of child care options for most American
working families include in-home care, family child care, and child
care centers.
Slide 51
In-home Care Center In-home care center typically is provided
by nannies, au- pairs, or friends and family. The child is watched
inside their own house or the child care providers home. (This
reduces exposure to outside children and illnesses.) Depending on
the number of children in the home, the children utilizing in-home
care enjoy the greatest amount of interaction with their caregiver,
forming a close bond. Nanny and au-pair services provide certified
caregivers and the cost of in-home care is the highest of childcare
options per child, though a household with many children may find
this the most convenient and affordable option.
Slide 52
In-home Care Downfalls Sometimes a nanny or au-pairs is just
not the right fit or best method of childcare. The child my be
confined into his or her own little world. (It keeps them from
interacting with other children.) There are no required licensing
or background checks for in- home care. So there is no way of
telling if a person is really qualified or has a criminal
background. All these things make parents very accountable and full
of worries and stress.
Slide 53
Family Child Care Centers Family child care centers are
provided from a care giver's personal home. This gives the child an
atmosphere very similar to their own home. State licensing laws
vary, so the parent should conduct careful interviews, home
inspections and background checks. (Any complaints against the
caregiver will be documented and available for public record. )
Family care is generally the most affordable childcare option, and
has the most flexibility in hours. The best part of family care is
the small number of kids in care. (allows for more interaction
between child and provider)
Slide 54
Commercial Care Centers Commercial care centers are open for
set hours of business, and provide an organized and regulated
system of care for the children. Parents have the ability to choose
centers that are close to home or work. Also some businesses offer
care at their facilities.
Slide 55
Commercial Care Downfalls Active children may thrive in the
educational activities provided by a quality commercial care
center, but according to the National Center for Early Development
and Learning, children from low quality centers may be
significantly less advanced in terms of vocabulary and reading
skills. Commercial care usually has the highest child to caregiver
relationship but this may vary according to state licensing
requirements.
Slide 56
2008 Child Care Capacity
Slide 57
Slide 58
Slide 59
Advantages Children are separated from there parents at a very
early age. Many parents like daycare centers because they offer a
formal, structured environment. Most daycare centers are inspected
for licensing purposes, caregivers are supervised (many classrooms
have more than one teacher), and a director oversees the entire
operation. Centers have clear cut rules for parents to follow so
you know exactly what is expected of you. A daycare center is more
affordable than a nanny. Parents have the opportunity to meet other
parents who may be able to lend support and babysitting time.
Slide 60
Advantages If you have a good child care provider they are
usually trained in early childhood education so they know what to
expect from your child developmentally. Children get a nice mix of
activities during the day to teach different skills.(singing,
dancing, and storytelling) Ongoing research by the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development suggests that
children centers may even have an intellectual edge over those in
other kinds of care. Lastly kids can benefit from the chance to
socialize with other children on a day to day basis.
Slide 61
Disadvantages You are for the most part at the center's or care
givers mercy. You may have to pay a costly fee.(late pickups never
go well). You may have to scramble for backup care when your care
givers are not available. Children are more likely to catch
diseases such as colds and pinkeye, since they are exposed to more
germs. Children are also less likely to get the one-on-one care
that you take for granted with a stay-at-home mom.
Slide 62
Childcare Rap Up!! Although many childrens lives have been
positively impacted by the childcare systems, nothing replaces the
experience of growing up with a mother and father.