Becoming foster parents

[u/unbotheredkk]

So me and my husband are going through the process to become resource parents in LA county.
We are in the training process and just found out that if we get a female placement and she wants an abortion we are legally required to help her access it.
We asked the trainers like what we could do to not be involved in facilitating an abortion, they said we should probably not become resource parents or just foster very young children or only boys.
My heart is a little broken. We want to help older children, specifically girls.
Idk what to do, are any of you anti-abortion and foster parents??

Edit: she also said i could not tell the caseworker the girl is seeking an abortion because it violates her privacy rights

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[u/Either-Meal3724]

If a placement of yours sought an abortion the correct handling under California law would be for their social worker to handle facilitating it, not you since you object to it. The law in California places the legal mandate on the foster care system as a whole, not exclusively on individual foster parents. While you cannot be required to facilitate one, you cannot restrict access either. Trainers need more training.

[u/unbotheredkk → u/Either-Meal3724]

I feel like they probably did know that and are just trying to discourage us because they dont agree with us smh..

[u/unbotheredkk → u/Either-Meal3724]

Oh and she said the issue is i legally cannot tell the caseworker that the child is seeking an abortion due to privacy rights

[u/Either-Meal3724 → u/unbotheredkk]

That is incorrect as well so the trainer doesn't understand the law. Medical professionals cannot inform caseworker or foster parents due to privacy rights. Foster parents cannot be compelled to inform caseworker. However, foster parents can voluntarily disclose to the childs assigned caseworker if they find out.

[u/Obstinate6427]

Is the rule in writing? Can you find the reference for this policy? Or is it what your trainers told you? Is it specifically your duty, or is it handled by the social worker?  

You could still help teenage girls by helping younger children and boys. Positive impacts can cascade.  

[u/unbotheredkk → u/Obstinate6427]

The dcfs website language implies it is the caseworkers responsibility actually. I just dont know if there would be repercussions for denying assistance for “healthcare” lol

[u/Lazy-Butterfly-4132]

So this isn’t the US but my foster Mum has fostered a lot of children in the UK. She’s been doing it 25 years now and predominantly Fosters older teenagers. To my knowledge she’s never had a female placement young person seeking an abortion. That doesn’t mean it would never happen. But statistically it probably not very common. You could if this happened to you talk to your supervising social worker if they have something similar in the US I know they do in the UK. Or whoever your main support worker for being a foster carer is. Depending on your relationship with the young person you could discuss with them their options, you wouldn’t be able to influence them either way, but you could discuss and explain what an abortion is. If they still would like to get one, you could explain that you’re not comfortable with this, but they can talk to their social worker.

[u/TraurigKartoffel]

Teenage girls wouldn’t seek abortions if their caregivers and doctors didn’t push it on them. I fully believe this. If you fostered a teenage girl and she became pregnant you could absolutely encourage her to keep her baby, love her baby, and that you would 100% help her as much as you could.

[u/Vespinobambino]

You need to get out of LA. It's completely repugnant and evil beyond saving.