WJEC GCSE Home Eco - Child Development

3 a) What do you understand by the term ‘looked after children’? (1) b) Give three reasons why a child might be in local authority care. (3) 4. Fostering involves the care of a child or children within another home. a) Describe the difference between fostering and adoption. (2) b) Discuss the effects of foster care upon a child. (5) One parent family The parent may be happier and more relaxed on their own with the atmosphere at home possibly be t ter as the parent is not in an unhappy relationship any more. The parent may have to work harder to support the family financially, emotionally and physically. The other parent is not available to share worries or the upbringing of the child so the remaining parent feels alone and some times very stressed. The child may also be lacking a father or mother figure if there is no or limited contact with the absent parent. Foster family Foster care enables a family to stay toge ther long term because the child is cared for, temporarily, in another home when there are difficulties within the family. Children know it is a temporary measure and they can visit their natural parents. The family know their child is in safe hands until they are ready to resume parental care. Some times the placement may change and the child may be unhappy in foster care. Variable standards of li ving may be evident be tween the foster care and the children’s home. Adoptive family Adoption gi ves adoptees a family and a stable home life to a child. The child has a sense of belonging and will possibly have more opportunities. The parents go through rigorous checks before they can adopt a child and when the process is comple te they become legally responsible for the child. To achieve maximum marks for question 4 the answer needs to have at least three to four effects that are discussed. Tip Foster care provides stability for a temporary period of time where the child is gi ven a placement in a good home with opportunities that allow the child to succeed when previously this may not have been possible. The child can have contact with the birth parents but may be homesick or not se t tle well with comple te strangers. There may be problems with some foster parents' own children as the child may not ge t on with them. Some times the child may become ‘at tached’ to the foster parent and experience a be t ter standard of li ving in the foster home and not want to go back to their birth parents. Occasionally a child may be moved from one placement to another, which can be unse t tling for the child and cause further emotional problems. As before, the good answer will mention both the effect AND then go on to a discussion of it within the context of the question. This opening paragraph provides both a mention of the effect (provides stability) and then goes on to discuss that effect. 33 Topic 1: Family and Child