Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

tex — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:30:31 GMT

Wouldn't it be cool if this helped push good people to quit smoking? I basically agree with the comments above. I, too, am torn. Does anyone remember the guy who had to have weight loss surgery (gastric bypass or lap-band, can't recall) in order to adopt the boy he was fostering? I think he was even related to the kid. I would hate to have to be the person whose shoulders it fell on to make sure the right balance of safety was struck for kids in need.

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

Brett Singer — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:11:09 GMT

Good comments all. Laura, I agree with you, it just doesn't feel right. Frankly, leahsmom's comment goes a long way towards dispelling any conflicted feelings I might be having about this.

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

Laura — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:55:50 GMT

I agree with comments #1 and 2. 2ndhand smoke is clearly not a good thing, but neither, I believe is such intrusion into one's home. Will the government eventually have the power to remove kids from a (biological, adoptive or foster) home for this infraction, or any others that might be deemed harmful in the future?

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

liberrian — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:59:00 GMT

It makes a whole lot more sense than banning gay people from fostering/adopting.

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

leahsmom — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:35:13 GMT

Will smokers no longer be able to adopt, then? My parents were both smokers - if they hadn't adopted me, I might have ended up in an orphanage.

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

bloggingmom67 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:14:12 GMT

I think I have the same misgivings as you. I'm a former smoker myself, and I know the harm second-hand smoke can do. But I have some worries about the law:

1. Will they ban overweight people from being foster parents because parents who have food issues may spread them environmentally to the kids?

2. How will they proove that a parent is a smoker or not? Carbon monoxide tests? Or could parents just lie?

It feels wrong to me, I think, but, I, too, am kind of surprised at my response.

re: Smokers No Longer Allowed Foster Children

Dy — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:13:52 GMT

I think a better option would be to require foster parents who do smoke not to do around the children in their care--come to think of it, that's good advice for any parent who smokes.