Foster Families; Did you know? The importance of Trust
Part 3 of 9
In the series we are looking at one word trust! How such a simple word is a basic need in building a solid foundation in any relationship.
In part 2 were looking at the outline for the MAPP program an effort to unify the training across the Nation and examining the 12 criteria or skills included in this training. For inquisitive minds the Link
Outline for MAPP training.Link
Let us continue now; Through role-playing, personal profiles, and other techniques, the homefinder and the applicant make mutual decisions about foster parenting.
When building a foundation the first step is to place the cornerstones, those foundation cornerstones in this case is the MAPP training. Our government is known for placing one stone upon another, whether the foundation is stable or not. The first cornerstone placed by the Mondale act, the now crumbling foundation, passed in 1974 which basically created CPS (Child Protective Services). ASFA that is the The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, (Public Law 105-89) one of the most significant changes to the child welfare provisions since established in 1980 layed upon the a;ready unstable foundation.
Here are the perceptions addressed by The Adoption and Safe Families Act, or ASFA originally created to;
1. Children were remaining too long in foster care system;
2. The child welfare system, not geared toward family preservation. Was often at the expense of children’s safety and well-being; often inadequate resources were devoted to adoption as a permanent placement option for abused and neglected children.
As an alternative, the provisions of ASFA designed to:
1. Ensure that child safety, a permanent placement, and well-being are of concern in any child welfare decision made by anyone involved in the child case.
2. Encourage states to speed up permanency decisions for all children caught up within the maze of what is the foster care system;
3. To make adoptions a primary goal/increase the number of adoptions, particularly through a new adoption incentive payment program;
4. Establish a new set of performance standards and a state accountability system.
a). states face financial penalties for failure to demonstrate improvements in child outcomes;
b). and encourage states to come up their own creative approaches to delivering child welfare services, by expanding the existing waiver program.
The MAPP training, which came into existence after the ASFA is an attempt to unify foster parents training. The thinking behind it was intended to increase the solidity establishing a curriculum easy to follow, easy to conduct the necessary workshops and in making sure that all States are on the same page in training. Example of one state’s compliance Link
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