Nothing can be more painful than the separation of a child from its parents. Here, let’s know about Fostering Placement Officer Job.
Ever wondered what happens to a child when the one who’s supposed to take care of them is found guilty of neglect, substance abuse, or ill-treatment of a child.
It can be anything from Mental, Physical, Verbal or Emotional abuse, mistreatment of a child, exposure of a minor to substance abuse, Parents not being able to provide a safe and nurturing environment, and performing overall duties for the proper growth of a child.
All this comes down to the Foster Care system, the Emancipation of the minor, and relocation to a different ‘home’ deemed stable and fit for a child.
And the one who makes it all possible and looking out for the child at every corner is a Fostering Placement Officer or Social Worker.
What makes a Foster placement ‘successful’ are the basics actually i.e., a child must feel happy, safe, loved/cared for, listened to, and wanted.
A Foster Placement Officer is that one person who single-handedly goes through referrals and counsels the child i.e. finding suitable homes, Foster Parents for a child according to their age group, interests, background, and special needs, and becomes a person of confidence for the child to speak freely in case if issues arise in future.
The issues can be any suspicious behavior of a Foster Parent in terms of Neglect, Substance abuse, abuse that is mental, verbal, and physical, and hurts the child and their interests in any manner.
In that case Termination of the said foster Parent takes place i.e., relocation of all the children at present in the foster home and termination of the license as a Foster Home and therefore A ‘Parent’.
Foster Placement of a child can only end permanently in case of ‘Re-unification’, the return of a child to their birth parents and guardian i.e. after they go through intense therapy and prove themselves worthy of Taking care of a child or if the child reaches the legal age of 18 after which they are free to choose whom they want to live with and get accommodation elsewhere.
This is not possible in all cases as the situation can be quite worse for the child and the relationship with the parent beyond ‘repair’.
However, it is expected in most cases.
Education
To become a Social Worker in America, an individual must least have a bachelor’s in Social work.
Or fields similar to Social Work like Psychology and Sociology.
Bachelors in Social Work (B.S.W.): It is a Multi-disciplinary program that incorporates Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Law, and Anthropology.
It is an Education Program that teaches a person to cater to the needs of the oppressed and at-risk individuals giving them away to survive.
It takes about 4 years to complete.
Social Work is a Physical job with a more hands-on approach.
*IF you want to study further in the field of Social Work then there’s a Master’s and even Doctorate Program in social work.
Since it is a Physical job, one must also have practical knowledge about the field. Taking on a few internships or part-time work at State or Private fostering agencies will enhance one’s future job opportunities and experience.
*While not required by all the states but Social Workers do have to provide a License to prove their educational and training verification for the clinical Social Work Position.
You have to complete 2 years of supervised Training at Social Work and take an exam.
Description of the Job
A Foster Placement Officer is known by many names such as Adoption Specialists, Case Managers, Child Welfare worker, Foster Care Social Worker, etc.
In the US, they are usually referred to as ‘Social Workers ‘.
Despite having many names the job remains the same.
Social Workers are more or less known to Match a child with Parents who are open to taking care of them, to check their credentials and authenticity – their house is visited multiple times, sometimes as surprise visits, inspecting the house for the safety and security of the child, the members of the said ‘family’ are interviewed and duties fully explained.
They provide Social Work Services to the Foster carers /adopters and the children likewise and to ensure the overall welfare of a child in correspondence to statuary and regulatory obligations.
The two most essential things about being a social worker are they help establish a relationship between the children in foster care, parents, and family and helps to maintain those relations, check on them from time to time, and ensure that a child is getting what they need and is being treated well.
Salary
The Salary of Social Workers differs based on Geographical location, Experience, Work Environment, whether they work for a private or a government agency, etc.
As per the Bureau of Labor Statics, the average annual Salary of a Social Worker is $61,230.
It can range anything from $35,000 to $90,000 in a year.
It also matters as in which field you choose to work as a Social Worker:
| Fields of Social Work | Avg. Annual Salary |
| Social Workers ( all other) | $64,210 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $57,630 |
| Mental Health, Substance Abuse Social Workers | $48,720 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Worker | $48,430 |
Duties
The duties of a Social worker in Child welfare or a clinical one are:
- Identifying the needs of a child
- Help and support people/children of all ages
- Creating a plan of action
- Evaluate and monitoring behavior
- Secure and refer needed resources for them.
- Advocate for the client and strive to improve the client well being.
- Be there for them in times of crisis and provide emotional support to lean upon.
- Legal Paperwork and Documentation.
- Maintaining a File on an individual to keep a record of their issues, behavior, and background, past Foster Homes like a complete case study.
Conclusion
Alas, it is a hard-working job and sometimes requires odd hours (in case of emergencies) but is a good one nonetheless.
It needs a different kind of compassion and commitment to the job to deal with children and their harsh realities, who are dealt with a bad hand at life and one must stay strong, support them, guide them through these all without breaking a sweat.
Children in foster care go through a lot of mental stress and anxiety it is the Social Workers’ job to keep them away from the heavy stuff when they have dealt with so much already.
It is a stable, respectable job where you make a difference in somebody’s life.
Given their circumstances even if one adult gives them care, compassion, and a healthy environment of nurture and support to reach their full potential, and not only makes them a functional adult but a good human too.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much money does a Foster-parent get?
Answer: The pay may vary in different states, as per local authorities, age of the child, and annual clothing allowance but the average pay for fostering a child is anything from $300 to $700.
The greater the need of the child, the greater is the allowance.
When it comes to the highest paying State, the state of California spends $1000 to $2609 on an average in Foster Care and taking care of a child.
The average yearly pay sums up to anything in between $39,392 to $50,000.
- What is the purpose of the Foster care system?
Answer: The main goal of the Foster Care system is to provide temporary accommodation to a child in a stable and safe environment to grow but also to fulfill their day-to-day needs.
Until they can be reunited with their parents or guardians however long it may take.
The basics that Foster Care wants to provide to a child in a nurturing but safe and stable environment.
- In which ways can a Social Worker/ Foster Placement Officer Help a child?
Answer: Social worker either placed in a government agency or a private one has common duties i.e., being a counselor to the child, their caseworkers, and in the case of a Clinical Social Worker providing them with therapy and helps them deal with mental health issues.
The work of a Social Worker is very hard and delicate as they not only have to ‘assemble’ families but to monitor them from time to time and make the environment healthy for a child to grow.
Social workers also keep in contact with the family and communicate twice or 4 times a month.
And if necessary make surprise visits to the family to check on things and the welfare of the children.
The main two goals of every Social Worker have been establishing a relationship between the parents and the child and maintaining those relationships precariously.
- Can a Foster Placement Officer/Social Worker speak to a child alone?
Answer: Yes, they can.
A social worker can speak to a child alone, but in normal circumstances, they would ask for the parent’s permission and consent but in exceptional cases, if they find a child being threatened then they can talk to the child alone to ensure their safety.
Social Workers also acts as a counselor to the child and provide emotional support so if a child is bothered about something they can request some time alone with the Social Worker or vice versa if the child acts unusually then the social worker might request some time alone with the concerned child.
- What powers do Social Services have?
Answer: Social Services are bound by Statutory Duties and Obligations of keeping a child safe and their overall welfare.
They provide a no. of services to the child within their rights and protect vulnerable children from harm or at risk. Each local authority differs from place to place and has a different set of rules to follow and when to ‘intervene’.
They can also make unauthorized visits to the home to check its authenticity and care of the child.
If anything is out of sort or may place the child in harm’s way then they are emancipated and relocated to temporary accommodations.
Visitation rights might be granted to the real parents under supervision or not this depends on the ‘threat’ a parent possessed earlier
