Foster Parenting the Child in Residential Care Housing

In recent media events, there has been much speculation over the right of a state to assume custody of children when there is potential risk for danger within the home. While many foster can and custody transfers involve threats of physical or sexual abuse, there are some family advocates who are concerned about the potential risk to children who may end up in residential care as a result of child protective service custody transitions. For this reason, many parents and families are joining the ranks in foster parenting and becoming foster families.

Children placed in transitional housing may, in some cases, end up in residential care. While not an optimal environment in which to live, the use of residential care becomes a necessity for children, especially older children, who are unable to return to their homes. In many cases, older children are more challenging to place into foster care and, as a result, many states opt for residential housing as a viable plan for transition. Within the residential settings, children are provided the very essentials required to promote a healthier outcome and transition into adulthood, including companionship, physical and emotional support, education, supervision and this environment allows many siblings to continue living together.

Even with the best of resources, however, children who are transitioning from their natural home into a residential home setting will face many challenges. One of the greatest challenges you may encounter, as a foster parent, involves the child's inability to manage or cope with varying degrees of stress. While residential housing facilities attempt to provide stress management, especially for older children, they often short fall this specific populations needs. As a foster parent, you will want to inquire about the child's history not only from their natural home setting but also the resources they may have been provided during the residential housing stay. Often, the longer the child stays in residential housing, the greater the challenges will be if you attempt to transition them into a foster care setting.