Annette (age 8) lives with her foster parents (the Jacksons) and nine other children, most of whom are unrelated to the Jacksons. Annette was removed from her biological parents’ care when she was five years old. Prior to her placement with the Jacksons, Annette lived with her aunt for a few months and then in another non-kin foster placement for two years. While the Jacksons have professional jobs, in addition to their responsibilities as foster parents, Annette’s descriptions of them suggest that they are very involved in the lives of the children in their care. They help with homework and meet with teachers. They coordinate daily housekeeping and gardening rituals. They are available to listen when children have concerns. Annette feels particularly close with Mr. Jackson who she calls, “Daddy,” and wishes that she could spend more time with him. Annette’s primary complaints revolved around relationships with her foster siblings. She reported that sometimes her foster siblings are helpful, but that most of the time, they get really angry with one another.

Children who talk about their feelings are teased, and younger children are sometimes forced to give things to older children. Finally, Annette said, “One of the things I really don’t like about living here is that sometimes children blame me for things that I don’t do.” Overall, Annette reported feeling that she is a part of the Jackson family and likes the people in her home. She stated that she wants to live with her aunt as a teenager, but that she also wants to maintain a relationship with the Jacksons. When asked what she would tell other children who can’t live with a biological parent, Annette said, “Sometimes it is hard being with people you don’t know, but you get used to it.”

Questions:

1. What are the positive aspects of Annette’s experience in out-of-home care?

2. What are your concerns?

3. How would you address your concerns?

4. What services or community resources might improve the quality of Annette’s experience?