In this particular instance, Legally Kidnapped has illuminated a rather serious issue.
Being that an original parent who, more than likely, has had a child removed from the home and placed under the jurisdiction of the state for being poor, undocumented as an immigrant, or just in need of medical assistance, would be in violation of some form of gag order, and immediately be penalized with orders of psychological evaluations or, even in some cases, termination of parental rights, for speaking out on social media about the injustices of the application of child welfare law, why is it foster parents do not face these similar constrictions when it come to foster children?
It only takes a few classes, a criminal background check, and a home visit to qualify as a foster parent.
Oh, and one gets paid to be a foster parent, too!
For original parents who have encountered the child welfare system, there is a gauntlet of criminal background checks, and, believe it or not, background checks to see if the parents have been victims of a crime, psychiatric and psychological evaluations, parenting classes, of which are a waste of time, money and effort, and multiple levels, depending on state requirements, of hoop jumping just to meet the so-called litmus test of being found to be without any economic or moral depravity.
So why is it foster parents do not have to undergo the same level of scrutiny, illustrated in child protection law?
To answer my own question, I even created a term for it:
Why? Because selling chattel is the oldest form of survival and these were the new guidelines of the Adoption and Safe Families Act.
The ASFA of 1997 was specifically designed to "create jobs" for individuals who lacked the skills to participate in the traditional workforce.
These new jobs were to care for the children who fell into the newly created chasm of poverty of 1996.
The following is an op-ed from our friends at Legally Kidnapped.
A Foster Mom Who Stalks The Facebook Pages of Real Parents
In the modern age, the internet has us all connected and people are putting too much private and personal information out there on social media accounts. Now, thanks to a dear friend who brought this to my attention, we see even more of the harm that can come from this.
That said, I have warned time and time again against discussing the private details of your case on Facebook because it is likely that you will be retaliated against by CPS or the court. In fact, the practice of lawyers checking the Facebook posts of the opposition for dirt has become quite common. I've also seen this happen back in the Yahoo Groups days, when that was the big thing, but now, (and yes it's time to pick on a foster parent blog) we see that not only will CPS Agents and the lawyers stalk you, but the foster parents will too.
Okay, I admit it- I have totally Facebook stalked the parents of my foster children and/or the birthmother and birthfather of two of my children who I am not Facebook friends with. (Please tell me I'm not the only foster parent out there who does this!)
More >> I Foster; Therefore, I Facebook Stalk
What is the harm from this? Well, it enables the foster parents to formulate an opinion about you. When that happens, they'll think that it's there job to interfere with your reunification efforts, like in the recent Lexi case. "How can CPS give this wonderful child back to that horrible bio-family when they have me to take care of them?" A foster parent who falls in love with your child can be a very difficult obstacle to overcome.
Now it is true that this foster care provider sugar coats it by saying that she does it so she can share baby pictures with the real parents, but I'm sure her motivations are much more invasive. Perhaps it's simply a part of her emotional justification process or perhaps it's a part of her overall scheme to undermined your reunification efforts. Who knows?
But now we're onto her.
So there.
LK
LK
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