Nashville Foster Parent Says Caseworker Turnover is at the Heart of the Problem

Tennessee is no stranger to the rigors and stresses of the American Foster Care system. Unfortunately, it seems that every state is being forced to address its own unique versions of a pervasive and ubiquitous problem. While no one seems to be interested in addressing the cause of children being born without homes, we can all agree that no child should be allowed to go homeless, hungry, or suffer the insanity and abuse of some of the wackos who see the foster care system as a meat market.

The Raskins are always keeping a watchful eye on this problem as it manifests around the country. It comes in the form of tragic news reports, legal battles, changes in-laws, and federal investigations within a state’s failing and often corrupt foster care system.

In this particular article, two women, Jennifer Snook and Kelli Stidham, both foster parents, say that their foster kids are changing caseworkers as often as two times in a single year. The caseworker, likely new to the industry, hopeful, ready to make a difference one child at a time, learns the estimated average of cases is 20. To their dismay, 50 ends up being the reality, and still, some are saddled with as many as 80 cases at once!

The amount of time spent doing paperwork as the system fails to find homes for the children never seems to change. The stress, guilt, and loss of hope that their hard-fought efforts are anything but futile dreams are driving them to the breaking point. It’s a sad state of affairs with no solution in sight.

As always, we’ll be searching and researching to bring issues of ongoing injustice in the foster care system to light.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/foster-parents-warn-of-a-crisis-at-the-department-of-childrens-services