When foster parents open their homes to a foster child, they also open themselves to criticism. Somehow everyone involved with the child is an “expert” and because everyone is an expert their expert opinions may not always match. In essence, the multi-disciplinary approach is a breeding ground for conflict. The potential for conflict infers that conflict already exists.
A foster parent’s ability to manage the three C’s…..Conflict, Chaos and Crisis is a test of their character and an indication of their ability to be a strong partner or a leader. In order to survive foster care, it is critical that all members understand the role that the three C’s plays in our day to day work, which includes defining conflict, chaos and crisis and exploring how our actions contribute to improving or worsening matters.
The child welfare system is founded on the components of conflict. These conflict components are the key elements of our child welfare work, identified as: Needs, Values, Interests, Power, Social Disagreement, Stress and Change. During this training session the relationship between conflict and child welfare and its impact on the child, biological parent, foster parent, agency and government will be examined.