Chapter 15 — Foster care

Current circumstances

During the course of their hearings witnesses provided general information regarding their health and well-being, either directly or while describing other aspects of their lives. For the purpose of writing this Report the Committee categorised the witnesses’ physical and mental health status as good, reasonable or poor based on the information they provided about their past and current health history.

All 24 witnesses reported either good or reasonable physical health circumstances, 10 of whom described themselves as experiencing good physical health without any particular health problems that affected their day-to-day functioning.

Fourteen (14) witnesses were categorised as having a reasonable level of physical health. They reported histories of ongoing illness and physical complaints that have had some impact on their everyday functioning, but were not debilitating. Three (3) of the witnesses reported having digestive problems that required surgery. Two (2) other witnesses reported that they have been treated for cancer and a further five witnesses reported suffering with arthritis, kidney problems, and the physical symptoms associated with an eating disorder.

Four (4) of the14 witnesses who described reasonable health circumstances reported physical impairments as a result of congenital deformities and childhood illnesses, including polio. In each instance the witness reported that their physical disability has had negative consequences and affected their availability for work to varying degrees.

Witnesses who reported being abused in foster care reported more mental health difficulties than physical health concerns.

Seven (7) witnesses, three male and four female, described poor mental health circumstances and reported being hospitalised for the treatment of depression and suicide attempts, recently and in the past. Several witnesses described themselves as having nervous dispositions and being in need of ongoing professional support. They also reported that their ability to work and maintain positive social relationships has been restricted by their mental health difficulties.

Seven (7) witnesses reported their mental health as good, three of them described experiencing low moods at times but being generally able to maintain a positive attitude. Ten (10) witnesses gave accounts of reasonably stable mental health. They described themselves as suffering with depression or anxiety attacks either currently or in the past, which they manage with the assistance of counselling, medication and other types of support.

Among the witnesses who reported being abused in foster care a higher proportion of female witnesses reported receiving in-patient psychiatric treatment and a higher proportion of male witnesses reported having either considered or attempted taking their own lives.

Witnesses who reported being abused in foster care frequently commented on their inability to trust people and the damaging effect this had on their interpersonal and social relationships. They also reported feelings of loneliness, isolation and worthlessness. Witnesses who had spent most of their childhood and adolescence in foster care reported being ‘alone in the world’ when they left their foster homes, accentuating the sense of isolation they had previously experienced: A lot of people think it’s just talk is going to solve the problem but it’s not, who are you going to talk to?... I’ve had flats years ago but I’ve walked out of them because of loneliness. A lot of people go to the drink... if I had a wish I’d wish I could have a home that nobody could put me out of, and I’d wish I could have people around me. I can’t go to the foster parents and say “will you be my friend?”... there’s no place for me, not even on the streets.

The following table highlights the areas of difficulty described by eight male and 16 female witnesses, in the order of frequency reported:

Male witnesses	Female witnesses
Effects on adult life*	Number of reports	Effects on adult life*	Number of reports
Counselling required	5	Counselling required	12
Abuse not easily forgotten	4	Lack of self-worth	9
Lack of trust	4	Lack of trust	9
Loner	4	Loner	8
Suicidal feelings or attempt	4	Tearfulness	7
Aggressive behaviour – verbal	3	Feeling isolated	7
Angry	3	Post-traumatic effect	7
Feeling different from peers	3	Anxious and fearful	6
Feeling isolated	3	Mood instability	6
Lack of self-worth	3	Feelings related to being a victim	5
Substance abuse	3	Nightmares	5
Withdrawal	3	Suicidal feelings or attempts	5
Aggressive behaviour – physical	2	Withdrawal	5
Anxious and fearful	2	Abuse not easily forgotten	4
Mood instability	2	Issues of needing approval	4
Overprotective of children	2	Overly compliant behaviour	4
Aggressive behaviour – psychological	1	Sexual problems	4
Alcohol abuse	1	Somatic symptoms	4
Tearfulness	1	Alcohol abuse	3
Fear of failure	1	Angry	3
Feelings related to being a victim	1	Feelings related to being powerless	3
Nightmares	1	Issues of self-blame	3
Post-traumatic effect	1	Sleep disturbance	3
Sexual problems	1	Unable to settle	3
Sleep disturbance	1	Unable to show feelings to children	3
Unable to settle	1	Feeling different from peers	2
Unable to show feelings to children	1	Substance abuse	2

Nine (9) witnesses reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or behaviour in addition to descriptions of mood fluctuations and tearfulness. Problems associated with sleep disturbance, anxiety, social withdrawal and anger were reported by more than a quarter of all the witnesses. If I had an argument with somebody,... (I would think)... should I hit the person or...Now I wouldn’t, I think it could be to do with maturity. Years ago if somebody stood in my path, yes... (I would hit them)...and I’m amazed that I haven’t ended up in prison. • I suffered depression... I have attempted suicide. When I was 15...I took a load of tablets belonging to ...foster mother...I didn’t know what half of them were. I went to bed and took them and said “this is it” in my own head and the following morning then I woke up and I’m still here...and then about 2 or 3 years ago everything got on top of me again and I took an overdose again.

Seventeen (17) of the 24 witnesses reported having received counselling to help them deal with these and other issues. Many witnesses commented that access to counselling has only been available to them in recent years, with generally positive effects. Witnesses also remarked they became more aware of their need for help to deal with their past experiences as they got older, while stating it was often difficult to take the first step I just completely suppressed everything, had forgotten everything... then everything started coming back to me. I never had counselling, I never had anyone to talk to... I was threatening for some time that I was going to do something... (about it)... I needed to get my head sorted out... and I suppose I didn’t want to face up to it either at the same time.

With the exception of a small number of instances where social workers were reported to have been involved in supervising foster placements in more recent years, the Committee heard consistent reports of widespread neglect of witnesses’ physical, emotional and developmental needs while placed in foster care. This neglect was compounded by a lack of assistance and support in the process of leaving care. When I was 15 I thought someone, other than...foster mother...would plan my life, or say “we’d get you a decent job” or say “this is what happens now”...

Eleven (11) of the 16 witnesses who were discharged from foster placements when they were 15 years old reported that few arrangements or provisions were made for their subsequent support. They described being treated, in some instances, as ‘slaves’, without any regard for their developmental and emotional needs. There were eight accounts of witnesses being placed with elderly, childless foster parents for the purpose, they believed, of providing assistance and company for the foster parents. Accounts were heard of relatives ejecting witnesses from the foster homes where they had been placed as young children, when a foster parent died, without regard for their future welfare. In those instances where the witnesses were over 16 years old they were no longer the responsibility of the social services. They had remained living in their foster homes because they had nowhere else to go or it was mutually convenient for them to remain with their elderly foster parents.