Stop the Stigma! — Myths and Rumors About Foster Kids That Need to Die.

I have written before that the stigma associated with being a foster kid is paralyzing.  Why?  Because of the myths that people believe about foster kids or about people who grew up in foster care..  Many times  people who “think” they know about foster care say wrong or damaging things, because they really don’t know.  I don’t understand why people who are NOT affiliated with foster care (either as a kid, parent, or worker, etc) think they have ANY CLUE about what really goes on in the foster system.  YOU DON’T.

Most times, these people that are not at all related to foster care just perpetuate the myths that are damaging and hurtful.  Here are the major myths that damage foster children and create stigma.  In no particular order…

1)  Foster kids did something to get put into foster care.  They behaved badly, attacked someone, killed someone (yes, someone once asked me who I killed!) or are juvenile delinquents.  I simply don’t know where this myth comes from, but in the majority of cases, foster kids are kids that have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their bioparents.  WE ARE THE VICTIMS and did nothing to wind up in foster care!

In the fact the other day I read something where someone used the word “apprehended” to describe how foster kids are taken by CPS.  Look up apprehended and you will see it means “to take into custody” or “to arrest” — this word is used for criminals.  NOT foster kids.

In most cases, there is NOTHING any child could do to be forced away from parents and into the care of the state…NOTHING.  We are/were kids.

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2) Foster kids are going to kill your pets and rape your other children and burn your house down.   Let’s be real here…Yes, there are some children who are so incredibility traumatized that they have severe attachment disorders that result in these types of behaviors.