Introduction
Young children are delicate, loving, naive, and unaware of the events happening around them. It is the duty of guardians and parents to monitor and address the needs of these individuals. Evidence reveals that children are abused emotionally, physically, or sexually every day. This happens to be the case because they are vulnerable and incapable of defending themselves. Seltzer, Henderson, and Boss (2016) argue that the overlapping responsibilities of communities, law enforcers, parents, and social workers should be taken seriously to support and protect children. It is surprising that children might be abused in their respective families. Foster care has been embraced in different societies to support the needs of children who are unable to live with their respective siblings or parents. The beneficiaries of foster care may be placed in emergency shelters or homes depending on their situations. Some might be allowed to live with foster parents, friends, or relatives. Before completing the placement process, various ethical issues must be addressed carefully. For instance, the process results in the termination of parental obligations and rights for their children. The aim of this paper is to explain why it would be ethical for parents to relinquish some of these rights in order to maximize the welfare of the targeted children.
Practice Situation
Foster care (commonly referred to as out-of-home support) is taken into consideration when a given child is unable to live with his or her family members (Rochat, Mokomane, & Mitchell, 2016). Different reasons have been presented to support the idea of out-of-home care. Domestic violence or abuse remains a major challenge for many children. Baylis (2013) acknowledges that children placed in different foster care settings are the ones who are abused either physically or sexually. More often than not, households associated with violence tend to report increased cases of child abuse (Miron et al., 2013). Physical violence has been expanded to include a wide range of malpractices. In some cases, children might be restrained or abused verbally. They might be locked in closets or garages for several days.
Neglect has emerged as a major reason for putting children in foster homes. In some cases, children might be living in unhealthy environments or conditions (McSherry, Malet, & Weatherall, 2016). Their emotional needs might also be ignored by their parents or guardians. Emotional abuse is also common in families characterized by drug use or alcoholism. The death of parents and close relatives can result in foster care (Rochat et al., 2016). Some parents might also decide to have some of their children placed in foster care voluntarily. This is usually the case when a given child portrays inappropriate behavior. The decision is also considered when the guardian or parent is unable to meet the child’s needs.
In such cases, social workers and legal professionals should be keen to ensure the rights of the person are taken into consideration. Consultation is necessary to ensure adequate decisions are made throughout the process. The child’s welfare and the rights of parents (or guardians) should be analyzed carefully (Rochat et al., 2016). The ultimate goal is to overcome and address the emerging ethical issues that might have damaging implications on the involved parties.
Presentation of Ethical Dilemma and Literature Review
Ethical Issue
Many scholars, social workers, and ethicists have examined the issue of foster care from different perspectives. Such practices have been influenced by the unique challenges and ethical concerns arising from the issue. To begin with, birth parents will be involved throughout the process. This happens to be the case even when they are not willing to allow their children to be admitted in a foster care setting. Some professionals working with such parents will report numerous challenges and issues that must be resolved expeditiously. The outstanding issue revolves around the relinquishment of parental rights during the adoption process (Seltzer et al., 2016). More often than not, parents will not be willing to have their rights over the targeted children ignored.
This issue amounts to an ethical dilemma because it would be impossible for the identified parents to offer sufficient support or care to the child. This situation has led to diverse opinions from ethicists and social workers. On one side, some ethicists argue that parents should be allowed to retain their rights to their respective children regardless of the existing situations (Baylis, 2013). On the other, a number of moralists have indicated clearly that parents should surrender some of their rights especially when they might not be able to support the welfare of the targeted child (Miron et al., 2013). With such considerations, it has been hard for different players to address the ethical issues revolving around the termination of parental rights in both adoption and foster care cases.
Literature Review
Keddell (2014) indicates that foster care is a wide field focusing on diverse strategies that can be utilized to support the needs of underserved children. The practice seeks to offer adequate interventions to children who might be suffering in the hands of their natural parents. Short-term care is considered when the link between children and their parents is to be maintained. The model is designed in such a way that more parents will have access to the targeted child and reunite after the foster care period expires. Long-term care, on the other hand, seeks to support and empower the child. The selected model should be analyzed and communicated to the involved parties.
Social workers and professionals in adoption or foster care cases are guided by codes of conduct. Such guidelines dictate what should be avoided or done in an attempt to meet the needs of different stakeholders. This notion explains why it would be unacceptable for a child to be adopted or placed in foster support without involving his or her parents. The rights of the targeted child must be taken into consideration throughout the process. Baylis (2013) goes further to indicate that every human services professional and parent involved should focus on the needs of the child.
Evidence suggests that young children grow and develop their faculties effectively when in the hands of their parents. Some fascinating scenarios occur whereby social workers might find it hard to retain a given child in his or her family (Baylis, 2013). In such a case, the use of foster care or adoption is necessary to support the child’s welfare. Unfortunately, this decision has been observed to attract numerous challenges regarding the issue of parental rights over the children.
A study conducted by Rochat et al. (2016) proposed that it was appropriate for families to promote the best environments for their children to realize their full potential. This objective can be achieved when parents offer the right support, resources, and care to their children. Various learning theories can be utilized by parents to induce desirable behaviors and encourage them to pursue their aims in life. When this goal is unattainable, parents should be willing to allow their children to join foster homes. More often than not, alcoholic parents will be encouraged to consider this option in an attempt to support their children. Some parents have been observed to allow their children to join foster care settings without relinquishing their rights over them.
Keddell (2014) believes that the most important thing is to put the needs of children first. In scenarios whereby a child is abused or finds it hard to achieve his or her goals, parents should be willing to be part of the adoption process. The practice is supported by many researchers because it protects the child’s right to a better and successful life. Parents who hold onto to their liberties and rights over their children will only be harming their respective children.
Ethical Principles Involved
The field of ethics has been analyzed widely by many theorists, scholars, and philosophers. These proceedings have led to numerous concepts that can be used to address various ethical challenges affecting humanity. The placement of children in group homes, emergency shelters, or residential facilities is a practice informed by the desire to take good care of human beings who are facing challenges in life (Seltzer et al., 2016). When it comes to placement, the question of parental rights has lingered around for many decades. The problem has worsened because some parents would not be willing to renounce their rights voluntarily. The issue has resulted in a complex dilemma that continues to attract a wide range of ethical principles.
To begin with, the code of ethics dictating the practice of human services professionals such as social workers encourage them to embrace the best strategies to ensure parents relinquish their rights in a voluntary manner. This aim is achieved through the application of appropriate procedures and ethical channels (Rochat et al., 2016). Throughout the process, it is mandatory to involve the child’s parent(s).
The principle of informed consent should be considered by social workers and experts. Parents and children should be informed about the process in a timely manner. Foster parents should be part of the procedures to ensure the child is contented with the situation (Baylis, 2013). Natural parents should be guided to present adequate information about the child’s mental and physical health needs. This understanding will influence the most appropriate treatment approaches.
Ethics theory is a powerful model that can support the process. According to the theory, decisions should be guided by reason and not emotions (Miron et al., 2013). The concept of logical reasoning will ensure critical issues are considered throughout the adoption or foster placement process. That being the case, the model guides professionals to embrace the most appropriate practices that can support the child’s welfare.
Immanuel Kant’s model of categorical imperative is widely utilized in the fields of foster care and adoption. The role of parents, according to the theory, should be to support the welfare of their children. The theory would assert that children in different foster settings should be respected and guided (Keddell, 2014). They ought to receive appropriate treatment as if they were in the hands of their natural parents. Without giving up their rights, parents will not be acting in accordance with this model.
Baylis (2013) believes strongly that Mill’s utilitarianism is a meaningful principle that is applicable in this ethical scenario. This theory focuses on desirable action plans or decisions that will promote happiness and contentment for the greatest number of citizens (Miron et al., 2013). The framework can be used by human services professionals to empower and inform natural parents about the importance of making opposite decisions that seek to maximize the outcomes of the affected children.
Similarly, Pojman’s theory of ethics asserts that human beings should use their knowhow to reward every virtuous action. Wrong deeds must also be punished (Seltzer et al., 2016). The model can be used to explain why parents who are unable to support the development of their children should be willing to surrender their rights. This can be treated as a form of punishment for the inability to empower the children (McSherry et al., 2016). The theory would be applicable in situations whereby children are threatened or abusive by their family members.
The principles indicate clearly that the issue of placement during adoption or foster care will always be characterized by numerous ethical obstacles. That being the case, professionals working with the identified parents should be willing to empower, educate, and guide them. The nature of the existing concerns should be considered to inform the placement process. The ultimate goal should be to guide parents to relinquish their rights in a voluntary many. This means that there should be no form of coercion. It is also appropriate to consider each and every ethical procedure during the process. Keddell (2014) argues that the move will ensure the termination of such parental rights is completed in a peaceful manner.
Personal Perspective: Ethical Options, Personal Position, and Development
My personal perspective is that parents whose children qualify for foster care will encounter numerous problems such as depression and trauma. This might be the situation despite the fact that parents are abusive and unprofessional in the manner in which they treated their children. Nonetheless, such guardians or parents would want to maintain their rights over the children (McSherry et al., 2016). Personally, I would argue that parents who abuse or mistreat their children should be guided to give up their rights. This argument is supported by different concepts such as utilitarianism and Pojman’s ethics theory. This process is desirable since the targeted parents were unable to support the development and success of the children in question.
It is agreeable that children have the right to meaningful and fruitful lives. In order to achieve this goal, the support and care obtained from different professionals or parents is imperative (Rochat et al., 2016). Individuals who are being adopted should, therefore, be allowed to pursue their aims in life. Parents should not hold onto their respective rights in such a situation. The move to hold onto such rights will affect the welfare of the children and eventually make it impossible for them to pursue their goals. This outcome should be guided using appropriate services from social workers. These professionals will seek approval and consent from the respective parents.
Before settling on this perspective, I have considered a number of realities that cannot be wished away by ethicists and experts in childhood development. For instance, foster care has been associated with negative outcomes in the long run such as drug use, poor mental growth, homelessness, and drop in academic performance. Some of the beneficiaries of foster care become discouraged in life. However, the idea of foster care appears to be advantageous over home settings when a given child is abused or neglected (Seltzer et al., 2016). My ethical position, therefore, is that parents who have their children in foster homes should be ready to relinquish their rights voluntarily in order to make it easier for them to realize their aims.
From a personal analysis and self-assessment, I believe strongly that ethical principles should act as guidelines to ensure the most appropriate decisions are made. Before arriving at the above conclusion, it is appropriate to consider the benefits and bottlenecks of foster homes. This understanding can then guide scholars to examine the ethical issues revolving around the termination of parental rights in foster care. While parents would not be ready to renounce such rights, it becomes quite ethical for them to do so in an attempt to minimize the negative impacts of foster care (Keddell, 2014). Consequently, the children will be empowered and ready to pursue their objectives. This personal assessment is informed by the inabilities of different parents to raise their children efficiently and ensure they lead quality lives.
Conclusion
It is worth noting that ethicists would apply various theories differently to deal with this ethical predicament. Despite such differences, the undeniable fact is that children should have their voices respected and heard. The community must offer appropriate support to such children so that they may have desirable lives. In conclusion, parents who are unable to support or empower their young children should be willing to terminate their rights voluntarily to ensure they have a successful and contented life.
References
Baylis, F. (2013). The ethics of creating children with three genetic parents. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 26, 531-534. Web.
Keddell, E. (2014). Current debates on variability in child welfare decision-making: A selected literature review. Social Sciences, 3, 916-940. Web.
McSherry, D., Malet, M. F., & Weatherall, K. (2016). Comparing long-term placements for young children in care: Does placement type really matter? Children and Youth Services Review, 69, 56-66. Web.
Miron, D., Bisaillon, C., Jordan, B., Bryce, G., Gauthier, Y., St-Andre, M., & Minnis, H. (2013). Whose rights count? Negotiating practice, policy, and legal dilemmas regarding infant-parent contact when infants are in out-of-home care. Infant Mental Health Journal, 34(2), 177-188. Web.
Rochat, T. J., Mokomane, Z., & Mitchell, J. (2016). Public perceptions, beliefs and experiences of fostering and adoption: A national qualitative study in South Africa. Children & Society, 30(2), 120-131. Web.
Seltzer, R. R., Henderson, C. M., & Boss, R. D. (2016). Medical foster care: what happens when children with medical complexity cannot be cared for by their families? Pediatric Research, 79, 191-196. Web.