The Effects of the Foster Care System on Children Foster care is a system by which adults care for minor children who are not able to live with their biological parents. The minor is usually placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent". The government or a social service agency usually arranges the placement of the child. Of the estimated 264,746 children who entered foster care during (FY) 2014: 45 percent were White. 22 percent were Black or African-American. 21 percent were Hispanic. On any given day, there are more than half a million children and youth in foster care in the United States, and studies suggest that at least one-third have disabilities, ranging …show more content…
Most children are entering foster care in the early years of life when brain growth and development are most active. It is known that emotional and cognitive disruptions in the early lives of children have the potential to impair brain development. Child maltreatment during infancy and early childhood has been shown to negatively affect child development, including brain and cognitive development, attachment, and academic achievement. The experiences of infancy and early childhood provide the organizing framework for the expression of children 's intelligence, emotions, and personalities. When those experiences are primarily negative, children may develop emotional, behavioral, and learning problems that persist throughout their lifetime, especially in the absence of targeted interventions. Research has consistently found that child abuse and neglect (maltreatment) increases the risk of lower academic achievement and problematic school performance. These children have suffered significant emotional stress during critical periods of early brain development and personality formation, the support they require is reparative as well as