Report of the Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption Page: 15
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An adoption-friendly
system must be
Sensitive
"These children have already been
victimized once by the caretaker, usually a
parent, who abused or neglected them.
We want to work to be sure these children
are not victimized again by a legal system
and foster care system that moves them
from one temporary home to another.
More than anything, they need love and
stability and a home that will be theirs
forever."
- Maurine Dickey, Board Chairman, Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services
Recommendation
Because many children are inadvertently harmed by
the very judicial and administrative efforts intended to
help them, Texas must ensure that a system designed to
protect children does not cause them additional
suffering. By January 1, 1997, Texas agencies andcourts should develop a plan to streamline judicial and
administrative processes to provide stability and
sensitivity to affected children.
Background:
The purpose of the child protective system is to
protect children. Yet in the crush of legal and
administrative details, it is very easy to lose sight of
the needs of the child.
Adults forget that children, too, need to understand
what happens to them and, especially for older children,
to have a voice in the decisions that affect them. In a
system which removes them from their families only to
move them from one foster home to another, often with
little explanation to the child, it is not surprising that
children feel powerless, unwanted, and unimportant.
The foster and adopted youth who testified before
the Committee spoke of their fear and uncertainty
when suddenly separated from the only home they'd
ever known, of loneliness and longing for someone to
talk to. They described what it is like when you don't
belong to anyone, to not know where you are going to
live, to be different. They wished someone had taken
the time to explain things to them, and to listen to
their concerns.Proposal for Action
It is imperative that we avoid causing additional
suffering for children. In addition to reducing delays in
the system, we must ensure that the people who come
in contact with children in the system understand their
special needs and can help to nurture and support them
through this difficult time. Procedures must be
designed to minimize trauma to the child.
Assuring Sensitivity to the Child
From the moment a child is removed from his or her
home, everything possible must be done to ensure as
much stability and continuity as possible. The number
of placements for each child must be limited. Long term
placement issues should be considered in the initial
placement. And, since many foster children are15
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Texas. Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption. Report of the Governor's Committee to Promote Adoption, report, September 1996; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1204048/m1/15/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.