Judy Callaway

I recently watched the episode about children aging out of foster care. I have been a foster parent since 1986. I have had children as short as overnight and as long as 11 years. I have had children from eight weeks to 21 years old and then some until the child got married and moved out. I have seen some of the worst foster parents that you could imagine and I’ve also seen some very good. I have a strong view on why I think the foster care system is a broken system, and that children are being neglected and abused even after they come into foster care. The problem is the Department of Social Services is not being selective enough on who they allowed to be foster parents. The parents are not properly trained or screened. A criminal background check is not enough. They need to go into the communities of where these people live and ask questions. Foster parents are not prepared for what they are going to experience and have to deal with. The children have been through traumatic experiences, repeatedly, or they would not have come into foster care. They have not been care for or love. It is not the children’s fault. They haven’t done nothing wrong. They do not coming to foster care because of one thing they did but the adults that were supposed to be caring for them. So I know there are many bad foster parents, but I think the blame should go for it belongs. And that is the foster care system. There would be no neglectful or bad foster parents if the Department of Social Services did not license them. If they do see that this foster home is not an appropriate place for children they should be shut down immediately. But they will use the excuse they don’t have enough homes so they turn their head. Therefore makes them total responsible. The trauma of coming into foster care is repeated again when they age out and have no one to turn to. But there again, if the foster parents were what, they should be no child would be turned away out in the world with no support system but sadly, it is true that they do, therefore I would love to see legislature come up with a system that would support children aging out and help them financially and provide them with stability,Job training, and education. Dr Phil I love your program and watch it everyday keep up the good work.