TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) - Experts are turning to science to find out what needs to be done to reform Florida's child-welfare system. They are using their research to understand what it really means to take a child from his or her home.
Pete Digre, the deputy secretary of the Department of Children and Families, says that kids who have been abused or neglected are more likely to struggle with anxiety or depression. Because these events happen at such an early age, a child's brain development can be greatly affected.
Digre says that there is an answer to these psychological problems: a loving foster home.
He says that the role of foster parents is incredibly important. "For every child, while we're working with the parents, they need to know that that foster parent is there for them, 100%. That is their parent, and they will take care of them, will nurture them, and they're committed to them."
With more and more children coming into the state system, Digre says there is always a need for more foster parents.
