"Our Nation's Children's and Family Services Agencies Need an Overhaul"

As far as I know, many American states don't require potential foster parents to undergo pre -licensing substance abuse testing. Additionally, many foster children, after being removed from their immediate family home(s) by Child Protective Services, commonly suffer from symptoms associated with one, and often times combinations of the following disorders:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Tourettes Syndrome
ADD
ADHD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Anorexia
Conduct Disorder

Sexual Disorders
Internalizing

These are only a few of the behavioral disorders associated with foster care placements. Granted, there are occurrences of such disorders presenting in children prior to removal as well, however, the numbers of foster and foster/adopt children presenting with such disorders after placement are staggering. Additionally, the more often the child or children are placed or moved, the worse the emotional behavioral disorders become, even with therapeutic treatment. As for how often foster and foster/adopt children are medicated, well, I don't even want to go there, but I will tell you this, once again the numbers are overwhelming.

How does she know all of this, you ask? During our 4 years of providing foster care, my husband and I lovingly welcomed more than 30 children (and their families) into, and out of, our family home. Believe me, we know. We lived with these children. We learned about all of this from them, not just from our training. We get it. We understand it, and it's not good.

Are you aware that many State's County's Departments of Social/Family/Human Services and their sub-contractors (intentionally) withhold diagnosis of the previously mentioned disorders? This generally occurs for the particular purpose of saving on the substantial expenses of foster care placements as well as removing any possibility of the diagnosis scaring off and/or overwhelming potential adoptive families? But, what if the child brought into your home is a previous, current or potential sexual offender? What if this child hasn't yet been officially documented as being such offender, or potential offender? What if, due to the lack of full disclosure, the unofficially diagnosed foster/adopt child or children infect your biological family with the spread of any one, or combination thereof such disorders?

How, if at all, does this standard practice put the essential needs of any children

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