Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Something Needs to Change - Part 6

On Memorial Day I did some more foster care research. Sadly, I found an article about exploding foster care numbers and the lack of families stepping up to take in kids. The little county in North Carolina had about 6 kids a month enter foster care but two months back to back the number jumped to 24. The current number of foster care families would have to take 10 foster kids each to meet the demand.

One of the biggest reasons for the jump in number of children into the system was surprising to me. Many of the families had military connections as in a parent in the military. Deployment puts extra stress on families and some of that is manifesting in foster care placements.

Families facing a difficult scenario while a soldier risks his or her life now have to be concerned about family breakdowns serious enough to end with a child in foster care?

There are people on each side of the reunification vs termination issue that have compelling stories. One mom, a mother of 10, lost nine of her children, then kicked drugs, received number 10 back and went on to get her Master's degree and entered the fray saying that termination happens too quickly. In the case of a military family struggling during deployment, how could the deployed man or woman even attempt to regain his or her child within the 15 month Federal mandate? In my personal situation how can the outcome of reunification possibly be best?

I have more questions, more concerns than answers.

to be continued....