Foster-Care Crisis Begs for Cooperation

 

There are a number of organizations in the United States and around the globe that work for the betterment of foster children, but in most cases they work autonomously.

Although their primary missions are the same (to provide a safe and healthy environment for the children in their care), they lack consistent coordination and interaction with their “sister” institutions.

These organizations work hard to provide children with the best facilities and services, but they are often limited to serving the children located within their immediate physical location. Oftentimes, remote and rural areas can cover large geographic areas, placing unique and difficult demands on agencies. Additionally, those organizations located within higher-populated areas can be faced with even more complex and difficult strains on their services and resources because of higher demand.

Communication and integration between the organizations is essential to alleviate the strain and limited resources within the organizations themselves. Throughout recent history we have many examples of situations where citizens from around the world have come together to provide resources, rescue and aid to nations in distress following natural disasters. When these citizens, working in colaboration for the greater good, have come together with a united plan of attack, they have been able to put aside politcal differences and cut red tape to solve an immediate crisis.  Foster-care organizations must develop ways to set aside individual agendas, cut red tape and work in concert to solve the immediate crisis that surrounds the foster-care system in this county.

One of the ways in which the organizations can attempt to interact with one another and work in a more efficient way is through a nationwide Internet foster-care database. With advancements in communiction technology being made on an unprecedented scale, formerly remote regions are now becoming accessible. More than ever organizations can connect with one another from across the globe in a matter of seconds. A nationwide foster-care database would allow various organizations to share information, ideas and location of children. It could also help link necessary resources with the appropriate child in need regardless of where the child resided at the time.

Organizations would save money, time and resources if, through communication and the sharing of information, they could discontinue duplicate expenditures on aid for children. Care could be streamlined if a particular doctor, teacher or care-worker were able to access and provide information and services for more than one organization in mutiple locations.

When organizations put aside politcal agendas and differences and come together for the greater good to solve a problem, they can work wonders.

In this era of technology when volumes of information are at our fingertips, it would be of great help if the personal details of children in need were maintained in a secure form and shared by the right organizations so they could unite the right services with the appropriate child in need in more effective and efficient ways.

If the organizations would be willing to set aside personal agendas, join hands and cooperate with unified national database, there is no ceiling to what we could accomplish for the betterment of our children.

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