Foster youth criticize foster parents and social workers

• "One teen said that her former caregiver frequently told her, ‘I didn’t have to take you in,’ and then threatened to ‘send [her] away.’"

• "One young man reported that the foster children who live in his home are physically isolated. ‘In my foster home, foster kids are separate from everyone else. We can’t go into their area of the house.’ The common perception that caregivers are ‘unfair’ to foster children is reflected in the following statements: ‘They discipline me, but they don’t discipline their own kids;’ ‘I do all the house chores; their kids don’t do anything except make their beds;’ ‘My foster parent gives me my allowance in small parcels, but she lets her own kids get their allowance in whatever way they want;’ and ‘If [the biological son] asks for a ride, he gets it, but if I want a ride, I have to take the bus with my own money.’

• "Some said that they did not see their social worker for several months. During these absences, their social worker did not appear to make efforts to coordinate visits. One participant commented, ‘Social workers don’t put any effort into making visitations happen.’ Another added, ‘Social workers don’t’ even think about scheduling [visits].’"

• "One young woman described a situation when her social worker clearly lacked empathy: ‘She said that she just got through reading my file. She said, ‘I don’t know why you’re here. You don’t have any bruises. Emotional abuse? Right now you’re a drain on the system. You’re wasting the system’s money. We’re going to put to get you out of here quick.’"