Biggest Misconceptions About the Foster Care System

As someone who has spent years working in multiple areas of social services—including child welfare, behavioral health, education, housing, community action, nonprofit organizations, and family self-sufficiency programs—I have a very different perspective when I hear conversations about foster care. What I see discussed publicly is often only a small piece of a much larger systemic problem. Many of the issues being talked about are not unique to foster care. They exist throughout nearly every publicly funded human service system I've ever worked in. One of the biggest misconceptions is that people assume services exist equally everywhere. They don't. A program may exist somewhere in the United States or even somewhere within your own state, but that doesn't mean it's available where you live. Services vary tremendously from county to county. One county may have mentoring programs, transportation assistance, behavioral health providers, parenting classes, and community organizations, while the neighboring county has little or none of those resources. Even when a service technically exists, jurisdiction often becomes another barrier. Families are frequently restricted to receiving services only within the county or service area where they live. They can't simply cross into another county to receive services that better meet their needs. In many cases, your address determines what help you're eligible to receive more than your actual circumstances do. Unfortunately, that's only the beginning. Nearly every program I've ever worked in was created to remove barriers for families. Yet over time, those same programs often become barriers themselves. Every year another policy is added. Another regulation. Another eligibility requirement. Another funding restriction. Another approval process. Another audit. Another compliance measure. Individually these requirements may all make sense, but collectively they create systems that become increasingly difficult for both families and professionals to navigate. One of the greatest frustrations from the frontline perspective is documentation. Across almost every agency I've worked for or volunteered with in West Virginia, documentation consumes an overwhelming amount of the workday. In my experience, even in the best programs, it's common for workers to spend well over half their time completing paperwork, entering case notes, documenting contacts, completing assessments, updating plans, collecting signatures, and satisfying funding and audit requirements. If you're fortunate, maybe 40 percent of your time is actually spent sitting with children and families. The rest is proving that you did it. At some point, the system begins requiring more documentation of helping people than actual time spent helping people. Assessment tools can create another layer of complexity. In my own experience, I've seen situations where completing assessments such as the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment becomes much more complicated than simply documenting what is true. When eligibility for certain services is tied directly to assessment results, workers become aware that the way specific items are scored may affect whether a child qualifies for services. That creates an incredibly difficult position for frontline staff because you're trying to accurately reflect a child's needs while also understanding that certain responses may influence what services become available to that child. My concern isn't with the assessment itself—it's with what happens when assessments become gateways to limited resources. What people often don't see from the outside is the amount of bureaucracy and politics that exist behind the scenes. When you're the boots-on-the-ground worker, you quickly realize there are countless layers of organizational politics involved in getting things accomplished. There are competing agencies, competing nonprofits, competing grants, competing initiatives, and competing priorities. Organizations want recognition for successful programs. Leaders want initiatives associated with their names. Funding is limited, and everyone is trying to secure it. From my perspective, relationships and visibility often matter. Who knows whom. Who is already established. Who has access to decision-makers. Which organizations collaborate. Which ones are invited to the table. Those dynamics can influence opportunities, partnerships, and funding. One of the hardest things I've witnessed is that some of the most passionate, innovative, and dedicated people I've ever met—the people doing extraordinary work in their communities—often struggle to receive funding or support. Meanwhile, organizations with stronger networks, greater visibility, or established reputations sometimes have an easier time attracting resources. I'm not saying every funding decision is made for those reasons, but from where I've stood, it can sometimes feel like having the best program isn't always enough. The irony is that almost everyone I have worked alongside genuinely cares. Social workers, case managers, counselors, teachers, housing coordinators, advocates, nonprofit staff—we entered these professions because we wanted to make people's lives better. The frustration has never been the mission. The frustration is that the systems surrounding the mission have become so complex that they often interfere with accomplishing it. To me, foster care is not the disease. It's one symptom of a much larger issue affecting human services as a whole. If we truly want better outcomes for children and families, we have to ask ourselves whether our systems are designed primarily to help people or primarily to satisfy administrative requirements. Accountability matters. Documentation matters. Oversight matters. But those things should support good work, not replace it. The people closest to the families usually know what those families need. Too often, however, they have the least authority to make it happen. After years of working inside these systems, I keep coming back to one question: Why do so many systems that were created to remove barriers eventually become barriers themselves? Until we're willing to ask that question honestly—and listen to the people working on the front lines—we'll continue treating symptoms while the underlying problems remain unchanged. And let's not even get started on the judges and etc. that get to rule over these kids and they have no background at all in direct care services, they have a law degree and no consequences for their actions. I had a judge rule that probation officers were permitted to prevent a teenage child from going to her church and all of the events as a form of 'punishment' and that is also the place she was getting her counseling services for the sexual abuse she experienced!! I've seen some wicked disgusting things from judges, GALs, and attorneys that get involved. I know they are not all like that, but I can count more harmful experiences than I can positive ones.

Excellent interview as always Shawn! These interviews are so emotional, but so necessary….God Bless you Jen for doing all you can to make a difference with all the kids & your family! I was adopted from a foster family at 8 mos old….& was told by my mum & dad, that my foster family really loved me & were very sad to see me go - they were kind enough to send me a full picture album of memories…..it’s quite remarkable and am very grateful to be so loved! I’m 55 yrs old now…..and it still warms my heart …. hugs 🤗

Your episode is way I joined. And Elizabeth Phillip. I have 5 children of my own

Jen, that is literally one of my favorite verses and one I am using in my life daily!!!! Please share my info with Jen as I truly want to help her causes

Thank you for choosing my question and grateful that Jen was on the show!!!!! Blessings to you all

I could not agree more with Jens comment and stats. One of my sons (Charles) who has a degree in Human Resources and works for the Volunteers of America, has worked with those aging out of adoption and foster care and are living on the streets, its a daunting task but to him a ministry. Conversely he also is a part of the re-entry program for those being released from incarceration and there are those he helped previously on the streets that are being released from incarceration he is involved with as well through these programs, in my opinion it's quite the circle of failure on the "systems" part for these individuals. My son has recently enrolled as a candidate for the US Army National Guard Chaplains program and will be moving to a base and also continuing to work for the VOA, to say I am proud of him doesn't begin to cover how my wife and I feel for him and his heart for the lost and hurting. Please keep him in your prayers.

Fostered kids are TRAFFICKED 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Wow!! - Thank you, Jen - Stay in the fold!!! - I know this is not question time - But, should Trump shut down CPS, because I have never heard any good testimonies from their work?

If you look up the Angel Guardian Home in Brooklyn back in the 60s and 70s You’ll see there was also a push to get kids into permanent homes it was a disaster for many with no accountability. Having suffered through many foster homes and a failed adoption I’d say someone needs to come up with a solution before experimenting with lives that have permanent effects from mistakes. Had it not been for Jesus I would probably be one of those statistics.. Just my perspective.

Are Muslim families allowed to foster children?

Thank you for answering!