8 Reasons Why Kids Are Placed in Foster Care – Over 9,000 kids are being cared for by foster parents each year. (Ohio Foster Care and Adoption Guidelines, AdoptUSKids.org) It begs the question, “Why are they placed into care?” Learn more about the top eight reasons children are placed in foster care right here on Newsymom!

Helping hands comes to you in partnership with COAD4Kids. 

You can imagine all the reasons that could lead a child into foster care. However, there are eight common reasons why children are placed in the system to be cared for by foster families!

8 Reasons Why Kids Are Placed in Foster Care

1. Physical Abuse

   Includes hitting, punching, kicking, grabbing roughly, being thrown around, biting, choking, etc. Kids that were physically abused may have bruises, bite or burn marks, broken bones, and scars visible on their skin.

2. Sexual Abuse

   Offenders who sexually abuse kids may include: parents, step-parents, strangers, a boyfriend/girlfriend of their parent, family friends, or other relatives. For lots of cases, the offender is someone the child knows!

3. Neglect

   The failure to provide basic needs, including, but not limited to: adequate housing, utilities, food, supervision, education, medical care, and of course, love and support!

4. Abandonment

   Children could be considered abandoned when a caregiver’s whereabouts are unknown, the parent makes promises to kids about “coming back” but doesn’t show, or they give their children to inadequate caregivers.

5. Parent’s Incarceration

   Due to a variety of crimes, the kids’ parent(s) may be incarcerated, leaving them without someone to care for them.

6. Parents Are Unfit to Care for Their Child

   This could be because the parents are either physically or mentally unable to properly take care of their children.

7. Parent’s Death

   If a child’s parent passes away unexpectedly and has no living relative or family friend that can care for them, they’ll be placed in foster care.

8. Child’s Emotional or Behavioral Problems

   Sometimes a child has an emotional or behavioral problem that their parent or caregiver doesn’t have the means to help them with. While in care, they’ll need lots of therapy and potentially medication, depending on the condition.

Due to any of the reasons above, your foster child is placed in your care with the goal of giving them as normal of a life as possible, full of wonderful opportunities! The end goal may be reuniting with their parents or caregivers, or becoming a permanent part of your family through guardianship or adoption.

Learn More About Becoming a Foster Parent

There are many perks to becoming a foster parent, but the greatest one is becoming a reliable support system for your foster child. You can learn more below about what it takes to become a foster parent:

• Requirements for Becoming a Foster Parent
• What to Expect When You’re Fostering
• Emotional Challenges: Boosting, Bonding, and Breaking Down
• Fostering and Guardianship
• The Trauma Response
• Three Reasons Why You Should Keep Siblings Together in Foster Care
• Can’t We Just Get Along?
• Resources to Help New Philadelphia Foster Parents
• Top Five Qualities of a Great Foster Parent

Then, when you’re ready to take the next step, send an email to our friends at COAD4Kids-New Philadelphia at foster5@coadinc.org, call (330) 364-8882, or follow them on Facebook for more information!

Melissa Klatt

Reporting