The COVID-19 pandemic was a bitter tragedy that struck us, and altered our entire livelihoods. Worldwide, everyone was forced to confront the challenges and adjust to our new remote lives, whether as children or adults. Coronavirus toyed with families, bringing cruel struggles and troubles for us to deal with. Foster children, some of the most vulnerable to these endeavors, had to deal with instability that only made their lives more difficult. A few of the battles that they had to face were grief from change, financial burdens, and for some, not being able to meet their parents. But this was only a small selection of the obstacles that foster kids had to deal with,
The pandemic not only caused a toll physically, but also mentally. Children in foster care often struggle with mental disorders, the reasons ranging from abuse, trauma, or more. Unfortunately not all the kids get their struggles cared for, but those who were getting treated with therapy would have found it much more difficult. See, despite how convenient remote therapy calls can be, some might find it limiting due to the lack of body language and gestural motions. If the mental health issue is too severe to be treated over call, a patient would have to receive in person care.
Mental health isn’t the only way the pandemic devastated the foster system. Foster kids living in highly affected areas would be unable to hold visitations with their biological parents. Any thinkable forms of exposure to COVID-19 needed to be prevented at all costs. Because of the worldwide switch made to the online world, any possible gratification they might get from seeing their biological parents would be diminished by the rigid screen to screen contact, denying the little connection they might hold with their guardians.
Another drastic adjustment that the majority of youth have faced is the change to remote learning. For some, the idea of attending school from home was incredible. One could sleep in, attend classes in their pj’s. But for many, not getting to see one’s friends is awful. The bonds that they have with friends at school could help keep them afloat. But when that in person contact is taken away, friendships could weaken. Yet another issue would be providing the technology needed for a child’s learning. Foster kids are already disadvantaged, and shelling out a couple hundred dollars for a computer isn’t easy for anyone. According to the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), “Several CWLA members expressed the importance of allocating more resources to families during this time. Specifically, there is a concern for the amount of technology available (e.g., laptops, tablets) for foster students and their access to the internet.”
Be aware, these are few of the many conflicts that the foster system had to confront. Not only foster kids, but the foster system were forced to face this pandemic together. Many were stricken with grief, their loved ones taken by the coronavirus. And in the end, it took a massive toil on the foster care system.
Sciamanna, John. Educational Stability for Foster Students During COVID-19 – CWLA. www.cwla.org/educational-stability-for-foster-students-during-covid-19.
Barber, Carolyn. “How The Pandemic Roiled the Foster Care System.” Scientific American, 27 June 2021, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-pandemic-roiled-the-foster-care-system.
“Six Ways Foster Parents Have Been Impacted by COVID-19 | Houston, Texas USA |.” DePelchin Children’s Center, www.depelchin.org/six-ways-foster-parents-have-been-impacted-by-covid19.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children in Foster Care | SSRI COVID-19 Resources. covid19.ssri.psu.edu/articles/impact-covid-19-pandemic-children-foster-care.
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