Securing A Promising Future: Shelby County Infants and Toddlers in Foster Care

The first 36 months of a child's life are a period of incredible brain development. What happens during these first months and years sets a child on their developmental pathway toward school and adulthood.

What do we know about children in foster care during these early years of life? Infants and toddlers in foster care are at increased risk of poor developmental outcomes as a result of increased uncertainty in their lives, and they are at increased risk of abuse, neglect and residential transience. The lasting implications of maltreatment and toxic stress on the cognitive, social and emotional growth of young children can have permanent ramifications if not suitably addressed.

Fast Facts:

- Approximately 20% of Shelby County children in state custody are less than five years of age (TN Department of Children Services, 2007).

- Almost 3 out 4 Shelby County child victim reports state that the child was neglected or physically abused (fosteringcourtimprovement.org). Abuse and neglect interferes with the positive growth of the synaptic links in the brain that are crucial to cognitive functioning and social well-being.

- In Shelby County, the median length of stay for children in foster care (March, 2007) is 22.8 months, almost eleven months longer than the state of Tennessee median length of stay of 12.1 months. Once they have been removed from their homes and placed in foster care, infants and toddlers are more likely than older children to stay in foster care longer (Wulczyn & Hislop, Zero to Three).

Policy Recommendations (From Zero to Three):

- Make sure that lawmakers and judges are knowledgeable about child growth and use that information to regulate security and permanence.

- Evaluate the psychological health needs of our youngest children in state custody and administer treatment as required.

- Increase and allocate solid funding to boost preventive services that safeguard and assist families.

For more information on the well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, visit The Urban Child Institute at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org; and The State of Children in Memphis and Shelby County, available at http://www.theurbanchildinstitute.org/DatabookProcessor.php.

References:
Fostering Court Improvement. (2007). Statistics for Shelby County. Chicago, IL. Available at
http://fosteringcourtimprovement.org/tn/County/Shelby.

TN Department of Children’s Services. (2007). Annual Report FY 2007. Nashville, TN. Available at http://www.tn.gov/youth/dcsguide/annualreport2007.pdf.

Wulczyn & Hislop, “Babies in Foster Care: The Numbers Call for Attention.” ZERO TO THREE Journal 22, no. 4, 14-15.

Zero to Three. (2009). Early Experiences Matter Policy Guide. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.

Making the Case for Child Abuse Prevention: Action Steps for Memphis and Shelby County

Sadly, the local news is reporting this week on the death of 11 month-old Midtown Memphis boy. Investigators believe that the boy is a victim of child abuse and died after sustaining severe head injuries (Holmes, 2009).

Unfortunately, too many children in our community become victims of child abuse and neglect. Between October 2006 and September 2007, 8, 698 children in Shelby County were the subject of child maltreatment investigations (fosteringcourtimprovement.org). In 2008, 14 children in our community were killed in domestic violence related incidents (Holmes, 2009).

Child abuse can result in extreme physical injury and death; furthermore, science shows us that early childhood trauma - physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect - dramatically affects both the structure and chemistry of the developing brain, thus causing the behavioral and learning problems that plague about three-quarters of the children mired in the child welfare system (Kendall, 2002). Maltreatment increases a child’s risk of developing self-destructive behavior, alcohol and drug problems, delinquency and more. An abused child is not incapable of healthy functioning later in later; however, the expenditures (in human distress and suffering, loss of potential, and real money) of attempting to mend, remediate, or restore these children far exceeds the costs of preventing these issues by promoting healthy development in the first few years of life (Hawley, 2000).

The FRIENDS National Resource for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention offers a summary of cost effective best-practice child abuse prevention strategies. The full report can be accessed at http://www.friendsnrc.org/download/Report1.pdf.

Given the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect and the wide range of strategies for prevention available, there is no reason to delay investments in order to protect our youngest citizens from harm and neglect.

Consider the following steps:

1. Build effective partnerships with important partners in prevention, including community based child abuse prevention programs, the faith community, early childhood programs, schools, health care providers and other relevant entities.

2. Engage parent leaders who have experience using services to strengthen their families as key partners in planning, implementing and evaluating prevention activities.

3. Review national models of prevention programs and incorporate those that best fit the community’s needs and interests.

References:
Fostering Court Improvement. (2008). “Statistics for Shelby County.” Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://fosteringcourtimprovement.org/tn/

Hawley, T. (2000). Starting smart: How early experiences affect brain development. Zero to Three/Ounce of Prevention Fund. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/startingsmart.pdf?docID=2422

Holmes, K. (2009, March 5). Memphis man charged with beating 11 month-old to death.
Eyewitness News. Retrieved March 6, 2009 from http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Memphis-Man-Charged-With-Beating-11-Month-Old-To/QLmaR_jfxEuBIiKIYfHGzw.cspx?rss=59

Kendall, J. (2002, September 24). How child abuse and neglect damage the brain. The Boston
Globe, pp. C1.