The Situations,Difficulties And Strategies Of Family Foster Care For Orphans

The family foster care for orphans is confronted with challenges and opportunities.Taking the M Children's Welfare Institute in Southwest China as an example,on one hand,the family foster care for orphans encounters the problem of insufficient funds;on the other,the corresponding strategies of child welfare agencies fulfilll the requirements of present Chinese socialization for the welfare policy.In general,the proportion of orphans participating in foster care of non-relative families in this region is relatively low.The paper analyzes the rationality of this situation.First,there is a large space for the formulation and implementation of the family foster care policy,because the agencies who implement policy can choose their appropriate child-welfare models according to actual situations.Second,the funding of child welfare agencies is tight.Government financial subsidies for each orphaned child in the area are insufficient to cover the cost of non-relative family foster care.The financial restrictions will cause child welfare agencies to strictly control the number of foster children.Third,children with orphans have their own particularities.Orphans in China have a high proportion of disability,and those need special care should not arrange family foster care.At the same time,some children whose guardianship is not in the civil affairs department are not covered by the current foster care policy.Therefore,not too many children are suitable for foster care.Fourth,the actual effect of family foster care needs to be treated rationally.Family fostering shows a certain effect in the acquisition of children's basic self-care ability and the correction of behavioral habits,which is regarded as a transitional stage before the child adopts.Child welfare agencies tend to choose children who are more likely to adopt to participate in foster care.Considering the difference in the overall health status of foster children and children in welfare homes,the actual effect of family foster care needs to be treated rationally.The socialization of social welfare emphasizes that the state,the market,the community,the family and the individual must share the social welfare responsibility.The strategies of child welfare agencies are expressing as absorb and use multiple forces.First,the government's main responsibility is exerted.On one hand,the government needs to increase its efforts in financial support to ensure the development of family fostering in depth and breadth;on the other,the government needs to supplement existing policies and regulations through legislation,increase the operability of policies,and try to involve some children in need into the scope of foster care.Second,promote the development of private welfare institutions.Leaning policies and resources to private welfare institutions is conducive to introducing market mechanisms and improving service quality.Third,deepen the level and intensity of NGO involvement.Child welfare agencies must not only seek economic assistance from non-governmental organizations,but also be good at using the professional advantages of non-governmental organizations to deepen the level and intensity of NGO involvement.Fourth,attach importance to family foster care.In order to reduce the occurrence of foster care disruption,we can actively play the role of relatives fostering and increase support and management of all aspects of relatives and families.As the role of strategies of child welfare agencies played,the social welfare socialization should emphasize the balance between fairness and efficiency.First,carry out family foster care driven by "permanent resettlement".Under the condition of limited resources,orphans with high probability of adoption are selected to participate in foster care,ensuring that most foster children can obtain permanent placement through adoption,which maximizes the significance and value of family fostering.Second,promote the diversified development of the maintenance model of orphans.Develop a care model for orphans that combines institutional care,family foster care,and special education.Choose a model that is more suitable for orphaned with different physical and mental conditions,and to meet the special needs of orphans at the lowest cost.Third,comprehensively improve the professional level of child welfare institutions.Increasing the proportion of social workers and the investment in training for grassroots employees in child welfare institutions will help improve the overall professionalism of child welfare agencies,which ensures the quality of care for orphans.