Personal Values
The situation presented in the case requires a careful ethical assessment. My personal values dictate that children should be provided with quality parenting and education to the best of their parents’ ability. However, in the current state, the parents are not capable of doing so. I also believe that people have a right to have children, with no discrimination based on their condition if it does not directly harm the child.
Societal Values
Societal values also state that children should receive healthy parenting and education. Low-functioning parents are often treated as unfit to provide parenting to their child. This leads to the child being transferred into the foster care of others. Society also allows for anyone to have a child, but the conditions for raising them may be strict.
Professional Values and Ethics
Professional values are stated in the case itself. Despite the school and the private agency pushing for the child to be taken into foster care, the previous cases that involved children who have psychological issues suggest that it may be unethical to put the child through additional stress that could result in separation issues, adjustment problems, and abuse.
Options
There are three conceivable options available to resolve this issue. The first is to put the child in the custody of foster care. It is possible that with appropriate care, the child will be able to adjust to the new environment. The second option is to leave them as is, which is likely to exacerbate the issue, but a slim chance of a stable environment developing over time exists. The third option is to enlist the help of outside organizations that are focused on providing parenting help to people with intellectual disabilities.
Best Option for Individuals
The best option for individuals, in this case, is the third one. An outside organization will be able to provide support in the developing of parenting skills for the parents. The case states that they love their son and show high levels of interest in his education and development. Therefore, they should be more susceptible to training from such an organization. The child would also benefit from the improved parenting and the lack of additional stress that can come from separation.
Best Option for Society
The third option is also the best one for society as a whole. The child will not have to depend on the foster care system while growing up. He is less likely to develop new disorders due to the trauma of separation. Also, if the parents properly adjust to the help that outside organizations may bring, the child will not experience developmental issues. This option also minimizes the conflicts between the values because the child will receive proper care without the parents losing the child.
Least Harmful Option
The third option is the least harmful out of the three. The first option is likely to cause trauma to the child and parents. When separated, the child may develop new issues and not receive any benefit from the foster care. The second option puts the child in danger of developing learning disorders and failing at school. The third option is, therefore, the safest one.
Efficiency and Effectiveness
Involving an outside organization is the most efficient and effective option for the following reasons. The majority of such organizations work on a volunteer basis, and either does not require monetary compensation or are priced based on the funds available to the families they support. Since they are designed to work with low-functioning people, the goals of the situation are more likely to be met than with other options.
Consequences
The short-term consequences are the parents learning how to handle their son and support his education. The long-term consequences may include the child gaining a proper education, developing a healthy relationship with his parents and becoming a member of society.