HSM300 Colorado State University Human Services Paper
Option #2: Case Study: Ethical Obligations
Foster care agencies face many challenges. There are often more children than there are beds in foster homes, resulting in the use of emergency shelters to house children. Placement is even more difficult for children who need therapeutic foster homes because of the scarcity of such homes. Adolescents face particularly daunting challenges when they “age out” of foster care, often with an incomplete education, a lack of critical job skills, and unaddressed mental health issues. As a result, they have a markedly increased risk of homelessness.
Imagine you work for a foster care agency. Your agency recruits, trains, and supports foster families and then places children and adolescents in the foster homes. It also provides supervision and oversight during the placement, all under contract with the state department of services for children and families.
Your supervisor has requested that you present to your new team of foster families on the following to create awareness of ethical concerns, emphasize responsibilities, and to provide the families full working knowledge of the entire process:
- What are your ethical obligations to the children/adolescents?
- What are your ethical obligations to the families?
- Consider and explain the entire process, from recruitment on.
- What are your obligations to the agency?
- What is the agency’s ethical obligations to you, as their employee?
Prepare your report in writing. Your report should be 2 pages in length
