The child does not lose his inherent rights as a child simply because he has been removed from the home of his birth parents and placed in foster care. There are feelings of fear, hope, anxiety, joy, anticipation and grief – all the emotions that any other human being would experience under similar circumstances. Simultaneously, the child has a need to be nurtured, accepted, challenged and to view himself as a worthwhile person. In order to support the needs of children in care, foster parents must be aware of the various rights of children that contribute toward the fulfillment of such needs. Some of the child’s rights while placed in your home include the following: 

• The right to grieve for his family. No matter what has happened to him, a child usually cares for his family. He does not forget them due to the circumstances and, in the majority of cases, would like to return to them.

 • The right not to have his birth family criticized by the foster parent. There probably will be times when the child will want to talk with you about his family. What he says may be truthful or it may be fantasy, and it may be difficult for you to know exactly how to respond to him. Never say anything critical about the child’s parents. Draw attention to the feelings that the child is experiencing at the moment, not to what he is saying. 

• The right to visit with his parents, siblings and other significant persons in his life, unless otherwise ordered by the court or the child’s safety is at risk. The case manager will arrange visits and will always try to be considerate of the child, the birth family and the foster family.

 • The right to be angry or upset. Think about his dilemma for a moment. He has been taken from what he knows, loves, and believes to be a part of himself, and placed into a new environment with total strangers. The child has been forced into a situation that renders him a helpless victim.

 • The right to privacy – privacy of person, privacy of place, privacy of things. This is a basic right of any child or adult. The child has a right to be quiet and alone sometimes so he can think without disturbances. There needs to be a place in the home where he can go for privacy and where his belongings are respected. 

• The right to receive unopened mail addressed to him, unless prohibited by a court order, case plan or consensual agreement between the foster parent and the child’s Case Manager.

• The right to be complimented on any improvement in his development – physical, social or emotional. Constructive criticism may be helpful, but praise, when due, can work magic. 

• The right to continued and private contact with the Case Manager. 

• The right to be cherished by a family of his own, either his family, aided by readily available services and supports to resume care, a foster family, or an adoptive family. 

• The right to receive sensitive, continuing help in understanding and accepting the reasons for his own family’s inability to take care of him, and in developing confidence in his own self-worth. 

• The right to receive continuing, loving care and respect as a unique human being…a child growing in trust in himself and others. 

• The right to grow up in freedom and dignity in a neighborhood of people who accept him with understanding, respect and friendship. 

• The right to receive help in overcoming deprivation or whatever distortion in his emotional, physical, social, intellectual and spiritual growth may have resulted from his experiences; the right to receive a healthy preparation for citizenship and parenthood. 

• The right to representation by a competent attorney in administrative or judicial proceedings so that his best interests are safeguarded.

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