Katie Fasola

Professor Beckelhimer

Intermediate Composition

11 October 2017

Discourse Analysis: Foster Care System in Cincinnati, Ohio

The foster care system in Cincinnati, Ohio is a topic in which I was not aware of until I

entered college. Most individuals, including myself, often overlook the issue and I have been led

to believe the entire foster care process in Cincinnati is well-organized and structured. However,

that is far from the truth. Through researching a variety of genres and observing the discourse, I

have realized there are a variety of discourse communities involved. These discourse

communities include the federal court system, foster children, foster parents, adoption agencies,

recruitment agencies, and even volunteers for non-profit institutions like myself. The dialogue

between these discourse communities emphasizes the significance of the amount of foster care

children in Cincinnati and the instability of their home lives. The foster care system is flawed.

This flawed system is partially a result of the lack of foster parents. This theme, the weakness of

the foster care system, is discussed continuously in a civil manner as the discourse communities

work for the well-being of each foster child.

Foster parents, as well as volunteer agencies, often discuss the disparity the children feel

as they are continuously relocated. Children share their opinions on how they find it difficult to

get involved in the community, and they also discuss how opportunities within the foster care

system are scarce. It is common for children in the foster care system to live in close to five or

six houses before they are either adopted or become eighteen. If children turn eighteen without

being adopted, they often add to the number of homeless individuals in Cincinnati. Lighthouse
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Youth and Family Services recognizes this flaw and serves as a place of refuge for the homeless

youth. One of their clients, Annie, stated, I was 18, alone and on the streets. Soon after

becoming homeless, I was forced into sex trafficking to survive. I was addicted to heroin and

crack, and got involved in an abusive relationship (Haffey). It is important to hear from these

primary sources and discover the reasons they ended up in these negative situations. The

discourse between the former foster children and the non-profit institutions is mostly civil,

because in the end, each group wants the best for the foster children currently going through the

system.

Another common theme found throughout my research is that children often have no

stable individual to turn to, and this is because the children have different foster parents at each

home. This theme is discussed between the federal court officials as well as non-profit

institutions such as CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates and is typically civil.

However, sometimes the dialogue can be uncivil in the event foster parents are being sentenced

for a crime. This was the case in State of Ohio vs. Liz Carroll, in which licensed foster parent

Liz Carroll was found guilty of reckless murder. The Supreme Court of Ohio stated, At the

conclusion of deliberations, the defendant was found guilty as charged, and sentenced as appears

of records. The National CASA Association provides foster children under eighteen with an

advocate who will be with the child until they become an adult. These special advocates foster

civil discussion in the court and communicate their opinions for the child. The discussion in the

federal court system tends to stay strictly professional, as all opinions are recorded.

Although most dialogue concerning the future of a foster child is discussed in court, there

are other avenues in which discourse communities communicate. Recruitment agencies, such as

the Hamilton County JFS Adoption and Foster Care Recruitment Agency, communicate to
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every-day individuals via social media and advertisements. Their advertisements and posts are

personal and meant to send meaning to their audience. For example, the Hamilton County JFS

Adoption and Foster Care Recruitment Agency recently posted, Happy Thanksgiving to all our

foster and adoptive families. The relationships between the organizations and volunteers are

tangible. This is because these agencies are attempting to recruit foster care parents, and adjust

to the cultural preference. This cultural dialogue tends to be more emotional and empathetic.

Recruitment agencies and non-profit institutions use first-hand accounts to recruit volunteers.

Former foster care child Dashun Jackson agrees with this dialogue tactic, sharing his story in

state and federal government settings. Jackson states, I learned that if you have a voice,

there is someone who is willing to listen to it and to try to make change (Jackson). Jackson

serves as a prime example of a person directly involved in the discourse. He experienced the

dialogue on both ends of the spectrum once as a child with an advocate as his voice, and once

as an advocate standing for another child. He is able to decipher the discourse and communicate

how the foster care system has changed over the years.

The dialogue surrounding the foster care system in Cincinnati, Ohio is mostly civil.

Groups from as serious as the Supreme Court of Ohio to simply volunteers for non-profit

institutions are involved. Opinions are communicated in a variety of ways, but I have found that

most conversations take place in court. I have realized the end goal for these discourse

communities is simply for the foster child to have the best life possible. This analysis has helped

me further understand the significance of the discussion around the foster care system, and I

hope this discussion can influence a broader audience in the future.

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Works Cited

Adoption Day 2015. Adoption Day 2015. Hamilton County Job and Family Services, 16 Dec.

2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2017. <https://youtu.be/JvZIxx6oPvk>.

Haffey, Richard, Paul Haffner, and Lauren Frooman. "Lighthouse Youth and Family

Services." 2016 Impact Report (1 Jan. 2017): n. pag. Print.

Hamilton County JFS Adoption & Foster Care Recruitment Facebook Page. N.d. Social Media.

Hamilton County, Cincinnati.

Jackson, Dashun. "From Victim to Victorious." Dashun: From Victim to Victorious - National

CASA - CASA for Children. National CASA Association, 2017. Web.

London, John. "Heroin Abuse Causes Heavy Strain on Foster Care System." WLWT [Cincinnati]

15 Feb. 2017: n. pag. Print.

National CASA Association - National CASA - CASA for Children. N.p., 2017. Web.

Prosser, Hilary. Perspectives on Foster Care. Windsor, Berks.: NFER, 1978. Print.

State of Ohio vs. Liz Carroll. Supreme Court of Ohio. 19 Feb. 2008. UC Library Database. Web.

25 Sept. 2017.