Good Intentions with Detrimental Results

Reunification in Michigan’s Foster Care System

Michigan- the Great Lakes State, also notoriously known for having some of the worst foster care, adoption, and child protective services. Unfortunately, I know all too much about this subject. Why? My parents are currently under-payed and overworked foster parents to two rambunctious little boys who also happen to be my cousin’s children. These boys have faced more trauma in their short lives than I probably ever will. I know what you’re thinking- cases of family separation are rarely a black and white issue, and coming up with a system to work for every family would be nearly impossible. I get it, I also used to think that as well However, after seeing first hand what the foster care system can do to young children (that still have family willing to care for them), I cannot fathom the pain that the average neglected or abused child in America has to endure throughout their lifetime. I believe that our lawmakers- both state and federal- are not doing enough to protect the under-privileged youth in America.

American laws are confusing. With fifty different states, each containing dozens of separate counties, municipalities, and cities, local laws are extremely hard to navigate. Even confusing for a criminal justice major such as myself. Child protective laws are widely state based, and the facilities who enforce these laws vary throughout local governments. To some, this is a good thing. State-wide ability to make rules and regulations should guarantee that the representatives are making the best decisions for the people who directly elected them,.The idea is that no one from, lets say, California can have a say in the education system in Texas. It is entirely up to the elected officials of Texas to run that program. Sounds good, right? However, by creating so much variation in systems that affect a population that has no power or say in a government (children), you tend to create an environment of apathy from people working within these systems, who are largely unaffected by the overall outcomes. Laws that are federally mandated are often stacked on top of other laws without any changes to the previous mandates. This creates a system in which people with good intentions often have their hands tied by an organization with such convoluted rules that the simplest answer is “family reunification” by any means.

Family reunification is a term that I have come to despise in the most recent years of my life. I am more than willing to accept that there are parents who make mistakes and learn from them to change for the better, and I actually believe that the majority of parents in this system are good people who deserve to get their children back However, a scheme that works toward family reunification while disregarding repetetive, dangerous, and neglectful actions from a parent does far more harm to the families than it does good.

So what can even be done about this? Since each family is different, each case should be handled differently. It is not a black and white issue that should always point to reunification, but rather what is best for the children. What a radical concept, doing what is best for the underprivileged youth of America, I know. The system is run by highly capable yet overworked professionals, such as social workers, attorneys/advocates, and psychologists. Michigan lawmakers should be asking for help from these trained professionals on how to fix this terrible system over the next few years, but they are too focused on fixing the roads to even consider that there could be a major structural issue in the state. Yes, a complete rewrite of a state’s foster care system would take a long time, but our lawmakers need to take this issue seriously and make it a priority

To me, this is such a pressing issue. My little cousins, who have been cared for and spoiled by my parents for the past year and a half, continue to be forced to relive their trauma twice a week as they believe that they will one day be going back to their mother. Their mother, who for that same year and a half, has continued to party, work only part time, and has not begun to work on her sobriety as was promised. Despite my parent’s best efforts to fight for these kids, they will likely go back to her, even if she continues to not do anything to help herself work on her parenting. These are the true dangers of a “reunification state” for the foster children inside of them.