The Effects of Placement

Effects of Placement on the Child

Children who are removed from their homes and placed in foster care will experience feelings of abandonment. They may feel betrayed by their family or lose their trust in adults, especially their parents. Infants and young toddlers who do not yet have a command of language may be especially affected by placement. It will affect their attachment to their caregiver plus they do not have language to express their feelings. It is important with infants and toddlers to minimize the number of foster homes they are in so they can experience attachment with the primary caretaker. Children may feel resentment towards their parents for not taking care of them. They especially will feel resentment towards their siblings if one child is left in the home and another removed, or one child is placed with known relatives, and another, placed with strangers. 

Some children may feel protective towards their parents, especially children who have taken on a parent role. They may fear that the placement was their fault, that they did something to cause the removal, especially if they divulged the abuse. It is typical for the foster child to feel angry about the placement and feel as if s/he has lost control of their lives. They will be confused by all the differences in the environment, especially if they have come from a chaotic family with few rules. They will feel guilty about being angry at their parents and about the placement. They may experience feelings of shame, either in regard to the abuse incident (especially in sexual abuse) or in regard to the dysfunction of their family. Feelings of depression and hopelessness are caused by all the losses these children go through, especially when they are moved to multiple foster placements.

If the child likes the new foster family, s/he will feel disloyal towards their biological parents. These children know their placement in the foster home is temporary so they may not bond well with foster parents. Or they also may have concern and anxiety about how long the placement will last and what will happen when they are returned home.

This may cause them to test the limits and keep a distance, not only in the new foster home, but also in their school and social environment. Since they are sensitive to change in routines and separations, changes or new separations can be more traumatic

Effects of Placement on the Parents and Family

Although the parents have demonstrated the behaviors that have caused the out-of-home placement, it still may be difficult for them to own up to the responsibility for the consequences of their own behavior. They may feel stigmatized within their extended family and community. They will experience feelings of loss of control, inadequacy and decreased self-esteem. They may have feelings that they will never get their children back, due to the power of CPS in their lives. They feel angry at the CPS agency and the school if they were involved in the investigation.

They are sad and lonely over the separation and temporary loss of their child and will go through the basic stages of grieving. They will worry about their child’s safety, how they are being cared for, how they will change, and how they will manage once the children are home.

Siblings who are separated also may go through the stages of grief and exhibit separation anxiety. Siblings who are left in the family will feel guilty about not having to leave home, but also may be jealous or feel cheated if the foster home is materially much better than their own or if the foster child gets all the attention on home visits. In some families, especially ones suffering from domestic violence, there may be an element of relief that they are finally getting help. 

The long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect impact the child, the family, and the community. The financial costs to the community and society for funding social welfare programs and services, including foster care, are enormous. Adults who were abused as children are at a greater risk for mental illness, homelessness, crime, and unemployment. All of these are the social costs of abuse and neglect. In the final chapter, we will discuss the intervention techniques that educators can offer to better support families and prevent abuse and neglect.