Agency report on Foster Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Agency report on Foster Care - Essay Example Foster care is an issue that has been in practice as long as history itself started to exist. It is a system in which parents who are not the biological parents of the child (minors) in question are certified and given the onus of taking care of the minors who have been removed from the care of the biological parents or other custodial guardians by the state authority as a result of various circumstances. These minors are often in government or state's foster homes. It should be understood that foster care is only a temporary short term alternative for the main permanent plans for such minors. These permanent plans includeThere are a number of foster care organizations which are both state owned or Non Government Organizations (NGOs) (Watson, 1994). These NGOs are mostly owned by individuals, family foundations, churches, professional organizations etc. This paper seeks to address the issue of foster care by these foster care agencies by looking at one of the agencies. The population taken care of by the agency, the services offered by the agency and the procedures for fostering the minor(s) shall be highlighted in the paper. The agency to be addressed is the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries.This is a Christian organization that has been around for more than 116 years. Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries is found in Alabama in the US and it has continued to embrace its tradition of foster-caring for minors and/or families. The minor(s) and families under the care of this organization are nurtured to become productive and pro-Christ citizens. It was founded in Evergreen, Alabama by one Rev. John W. Stewart in 1891. The personalized and comprehensive services offered at this foster care agency imply that the organization is more than equipped to assist more individual minors and families in a myriad of ways and in more places in the entire Alabama and beyond. It is important to note that this agency sets foster goals and plans as it continues to take care of the minors and families under its care. The agency is in partnership with the Alabama churches, community organizations, Baptist associations and individuals and all these ensure that the foster goals and plans are reached and accomplished effectively. The agency's main goal or what may simply be termed as its mission statement is to not only protect but also restore and nurture both minors and families through the extensively Christian centered services. These services are extended to these minors and families who urgently need foster care as result of a number of unfavorable circumstances (Young et al, 1997). The agency offers its services to such minors and families under four major areas. These include: Homes for Children which include campuses, emergency shelters and group homes among other arrangements Education services and/or family assistance Professional counseling to the minors and the families Administration of the agency in a way that maximizes resources that will be used to give the foster care to the minors and families It is imperative to note that for almost the entire history of the agency its major focus has been to provide foster homes for children and the youth especially those who are unfortunate in the society. It owns campuses and emergency shelters. It also manages group homes and foster care. The children homes are positioned to provide homes for both the children and the youth. These are found in Mobile and Decatur. The group homes are found in Oxford, Dothan,