Smokers banned from fostering

[sj5 4]

I think it will harder for children to have foster parents.

Edited November 10, 2008 by SJ

[Nagishkaw 510]

Second hand smoke has demonstrably and significantly worse health effects than cheese whiz. You know that.

As for heroin, I don't know about other states but in NJ they won't let you adopt if you have any drug convictions in the last few years and have not been through a rehab program.

You know what I am talking about brother. I would not personally smoke as soon as I got pregnant. But to say smoking disqualifies people from parenthood is a load of bullsh1t. there ARE more important things -- say nutrition, education, an active lifestyle, cultural education, hell, even spiritual guidance. A safe environment. Love, anyone?

Perhaps we could screen out also those MoFos who belong to fundamentalist racially motivated groups, those who are homophobic, those who cannot read or write, those who..... come on.

Yup.

[SaadBell 0]

That is wonderful, we don't have enough foster parents, the homes are filled to the rime and when you don't have a foster home, they put you in a program, and the kids, they just hate the program, basically they are warehousing these kids, usually they have to separate siblings, it is a mess. So this will just add to the extra scares these kids will have when their time in the system is over.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

That is wonderful, we don't have enough foster parents, the homes are filled to the rime and when you don't have a foster home, they put you in a program, and the kids, they just hate the program, basically they are warehousing these kids, usually they have to separate siblings, it is a mess. So this will just add to the extra scares these kids will have when their time in the system is over.

Good post sister Ganja.

[jundp 191]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

But still....if you want to foster that badly, and you can't stop smoking long enough to do so, then you have greater issues, IMHO.

And yeah, I used to be a smoker. Deal with it.

ETA: I was also a foster child when I was 4 and 5.

Edited November 10, 2008 by jundp

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know - I have to assume that "Lens' of this world, as good people, would give up smoking if it was in the best interests of the child. Maybe it 'feels' wrong to be told to do this by a government department. As to the rest, as I understand it, certainly in the UK there are quite rigorous rules and requirements that are put in place that are designed to ensure that any placement is in the best interests of the child.

Again, I would have thought that common sense will prevail. It's somewhat cut one's nose off to spite one's face if you really would say '#### the kids, if I can't smoke I'll not foster'.

Edited November 10, 2008 by Madame Cleo

[Peikko 1,575]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

But still....if you want to foster that badly, and you can't stop smoking long enough to do so, then you have greater issues, IMHO.

And yeah, I used to be a smoker. Deal with it.

ETA: I was also a foster child when I was 4 and 5.

There is nothing wrong with 'discriminating' against bad parenting traits and habits when it comes to fostering and adoption.

[IAMX 3,055]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

But still....if you want to foster that badly, and you can't stop smoking long enough to do so, then you have greater issues, IMHO.

And yeah, I used to be a smoker. Deal with it.

ETA: I was also a foster child when I was 4 and 5.

There is nothing wrong with 'discriminating' against bad parenting traits and habits when it comes to fostering and adoption.

It's only okay to discriminate if they're gay. Then somehow they're intrinsically bad and unfit.

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't know if they do in the UK. I haven't kept up with the rules since moving here.

[Amby 490]

LONDON (Reuters) – A council has become the first in London to rule that smokers will no longer be able to foster children.

Sounds about right. The dangers of second hand smoke to children are well known.

I agree. I have asthma because my dad smoked when I was a baby.

[MichelleN 0]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

But still....if you want to foster that badly, and you can't stop smoking long enough to do so, then you have greater issues, IMHO.

And yeah, I used to be a smoker. Deal with it.

ETA: I was also a foster child when I was 4 and 5.

There is nothing wrong with 'discriminating' against bad parenting traits and habits when it comes to fostering and adoption.

It's only okay to discriminate if they're gay. Then somehow they're intrinsically bad and unfit.

I've never understood why they're 'unfit'. I mean, what matters is a loving household right?

[Amby 490]

What's next? Obese people can't adopt?

Ok, second hand smoke killing is beyond dispute. Is it beyond dispute that every smoking parent subjects their children to second hand smoke?

I think they're already not allowing people to adopt if they're not in good health and obesity is one of the things they consider bad health. I watched a documentary on it awhile ago.

This is just the first thing that came up in my search

Overweight individuals report greater difficulty in adopting a child. Some agencies will reject applicants who are obese, fearing that they are unhealthy or may have a reduced life expectancy. They may also fear obese parents will raise overweight children and may not wish children to be subjected to taunts of others, particularly schoolmates.

http://encyclopedia.adoption.com/entry/obesity/255/1.html

[jundp 191]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

But still....if you want to foster that badly, and you can't stop smoking long enough to do so, then you have greater issues, IMHO.

And yeah, I used to be a smoker. Deal with it.

ETA: I was also a foster child when I was 4 and 5.

There is nothing wrong with 'discriminating' against bad parenting traits and habits when it comes to fostering and adoption.

ITA, but let's also fix the problems already in existence in the foster care system.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

We all know smoking is bad for you. We all know smoking is bad for others (second-hand smoke). If you are fostering, presumably you are putting the needs of a child before your own, therefore quitting in order to foster shouldn't be an issue. Most people quit during pregnancy for the sake of the child, why not do so for the sake of fostering?

If smoking is that important, then don't foster.

Now, that being said, it's discrimination plain and simple. There are too many unsafe and despicable foster homes already, so I say focus on fixing the foster care system and worry about smokers after you get the abusers, the alcoholics, and those who foster for the wrong reasons out of there.

Well stated. You make a persuasive argument.

[Amby 490]

Smokers are not allowed to drink Fosters? That's just wrong.

Mark did you have too many Fosters today?

Edited November 10, 2008 by Amby