Youth With Disabilities In Foster Care: Prevalence, Barriers And Long-Term Effects

This paper investigates the prevalence of youth in foster care with a developmental delay or disability, physical disability, or mental disorder, the barriers these youth disproportionately face in comparison to youth outside the foster care system and youth within foster care that do not have a disability, and the long-term negative effects these barrier have on their transition to adulthood. Specifically, the barriers within the foster care system that disproportionately affect youth with disabilities are the identification and assessment process for children entering the system, the lack of transition services that are tailored specifically to children with disabilities, barriers in regards to their education and the inadequacy of training for foster parents and child welfare professionals. The long-term effects that children, with or without disabilities, in the foster care system may experience at a higher rate because of the challenges faced before and during their time in the system are toxic stress, insecure attachment, increased suicide risk and lower education and job outcomes. As a result of these barriers and long-term effects I suggest creating a better identification and assessment process for foster children immediately as they enter the system and a more comprehensive training program for all foster parents and child welfare professionals. The intention of this paper is to raise awareness and educate people on the disparities that children with disabilities in the foster care system face on a daily basis with the hopes of inspiring a movement of change.