Homeless Hispanic and Latino children

There are a staggering number of Hispanic children living in foster care in the United States. These children can never find a permanent home to call their very own, a place where they can feel safe and loved. The problem affects the child's future and the community as a whole.

Approximately 20,000 children from the age relied system without ever finding permanent homes each year. The latest figures indicate that there are 513,000 children in Foster Care in Italy 2007. Of these, one in five is Hispanic or Latino (or Latin origin).

Reasons cited for this issue are:

or poverty and substance abuse, mostly in the poorest areas in large urban centers
Parents or have limited support
Parents or do not have access to helpful resources, such as parent training
Ø Some of these parents are immigrants without relatives in the United States to turn to, which leads to lack the natural support that they would in their country
Ø Many of these families also move very

The parents of these children are stressed, are not good examples, and neglecting or abusing their children. The Child Protective Services removed the child from home, putting them in foster care.

Hispanic and Latino children who grow up in the foster care system report:

Ø It 'hard to move around and be separated from siblings. They are often bounced around, they have different positions with little consistency in their school life in general.
o They must learn to be part of a family and adapt to their beliefs and / or culture.
o The process of having to learn the culture and beliefs of particular families in which they were placed is repeated over and over again.
or adjustment is difficult for both children and families that provide custody and many children are driven out of these houses.

It is necessary for children to receive adequate support, structure, love, patience and guidance. If these things are not present as a child matures, are at higher risk for:

Or emotional problems
Ø incomplete formation and / or failure
The lack of social skills or
or are likely to become part of the criminal justice system

Who helps these children?

Voices for Children Foundation of Miami-Dade County and the 11 th Judicial Circuit Guardian ad litem of the program are a couple of agencies dedicated to helping displaced Hispanic children. The adoption claims underlines the need for Hispanic families to adopt or foster children in Latin America.

There is a shortage of houses for Latin placements. Adoption supporters realize the connection of a child Hispanic or Latino for the entire life of the family Hispanic is extremely important.

Adoption and foster parenting is not the only way people can help these children. Some volunteer their time and become a mentor or a court appointed guardian.

There is also support for adoptive parents, including:

o Access to training
or financial support in terms of adoption subsidies and Medicaid
A parent or adopting a child with special needs may qualify for a tax credit
adoptive parents, or may even fail to receive a foster parent or adopting a child from public organizations, such as their state departments of social services and the Administration for Children and Families.

It 's alarming to note that 99,000 Hispanic or Latino children placed in foster care will age out and can expect to deal with homelessness. They are a part of America's forgotten children.

Source: Rousseau, M. (2008, April). Forgotten children of American, Hispanic, 21 (4), 44-46. Retrieved June 20, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database....