Gender Bias In Foster Care

Many people are misinformed when it comes to foster care and its issues and successes. To be able to understand foster care one must be able to understand the process. It begins with the child’s biological parents. A child can be withdrawn for abuse or neglect, or the child can have a minor misdemeanor(s) against them and can be placed in foster care rather than juvenile detention. A call by the Child Welfare Services is then made to the foster families in the counties and surrounding counties. Then call includes the child’s age, sex and, sometimes the reasoning of withdrawal. The parents then say whether or not they will take the child(ren) into their home. If yes, the child is moved to the home until further notice if no, the calls continue. So, are there not just racial but age and gender bias in the foster care system?
Most families only allow and desire younger children. Though families tend to discriminate against age rather than sex many will not take one or the other when it come to sexes. We need to remember that “As the nation debates the future of welfare, the family, and care for children left orphaned by AIDS, drug abuse, and abandonment, it is important for historians to reflect on the role that segregation and racism played in shaping today's crises.” (Rosner and Markowitz, 1844-1845). Todays crisis has been one sense foster care and child welfare has started. We must wonder, can such hatred