Today, children whose parents are deemed incapable of caring for them

Question

Today, children whose parents are deemed incapable of caring for them are put into foster care. These children are moved into strangers' homes, where they are cared for until their own parents can regain custody, which may not happen for years, if it happens at all. Although it means well, the current foster care program is so poorly funded, staffed, and managed that it cannot ensure the safety and well being of the children in the system. The laudable idea behind foster care is that children will fare best if placed in a family setting until they can be reunited with their parents, even if it is a family of strangers. However while in foster care, children typically get shuffled between many different foster homes, preventing them from developing long-term, supportive relationships with their foster families.

Foster care placements can also force siblings to be separated, further isolating these vulnerable children. When a child is moved to a new foster home, he or she may also have to enroll in a new school, a disruptive process that has a negative impact on the child's education. The bureaucracy that oversees this system is overwhelmed to the point that social workers are unable to adequately screen potential foster parents and keep accurate track of the children placed in foster care. There must be a better means of caring for these children. Perhaps it is time to consider creating special group homes as a means of providing these children with stable and safe environments.

A child could live in one group home for the duration of his or her time in foster care and be supervised by a team of social workers and other lay people. Children would receive proper meals and healthcare, attend the same school, and develop relationships with others experiencing the trauma of being separated from their parents. In addition, social workers and staff would have daily access to these children, enabling them to better determine if a child has a special physical or psychological need and arrange for the necessary services. Would this approach be perfect? No, but it would solve many of the problems that plague the current system. For some, the idea of a government agency housing, clothing, and feeding needy children may sound extreme, but it only suggests that we provide these children with the same basic necessities that we give to prison inmates.    1 
 1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?

A. The current foster care system is a failure.
B. Government-run group homes would be a better option than foster care.
C. Group homes for children are similar to prisons.
D. Children in foster care need more stability.
E. No childcare system is perfect.

2 
 2. The passage suggests that the idea of creating group homes in lieu of foster care

A. is long overdue.
B. is the only viable option to foster care.
C. is likely to meet with much resistance.
D. should be researched extensively.
E. is a basic right that should not be denied to children in need.

3 
 3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author

A. was once in prison.
B. believes foster care parents are often too lenient.
C. was a foster child.
D. believes prison inmates are treated better than some children in foster care.
E. believes group homes are essentially prisons for children.

4 
 4. According to the passage, a group home system has all of the following advantages over the current foster care system EXCEPT

A. children would be reunited with their parents more quickly.
B. it is easier to keep track of children in the system.
C. children would have daily contact with social workers.
D. children would stay in the same school.
E. children would have better access to special services

5 
 5. The passage states that

A. children in group homes would get a better education than children in foster care.
B. children in group homes would have more individual attention than children in foster care.
C. children in group homes would find comfort in being with other children who have been taken from their parents.
D. group homes are more cost effective than foster care.
E. a group home system is less likely to be bogged down by bureaucracy.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 116 Date: 21-Mar-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Learning Express

vasutandon · Answer

IN QUESTION NUMBER 4 HOW CAN D BE THE CORRECT ANSWER.A IS NOWHERE MENTIONED AS AN ADVANTAGE.ALSO IT IS CLEARLY GIVEN IN THE LAST PASSAGE ABOUT CHILDREN BEING IN THE SAME SCHOOL AS AN ADVATAGE.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello vasutandon

Official answers to questions 2, 3, and 4 were given wrong. I have fixed the same. The correct official answers are:

B C D A C

Thank you!

tanishsahu · Answer

why question 1 answer is b , where it is written and why it cannot be option d 
and why question 2 answer cannot be option a and why answer is option c

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

The main idea is expressed at the beginning of the  third paragraph: “Perhaps it’s time to consider creating special group homes as a means of providing these children with stable and safe environments.”  The first two paragraphs describe the problems with foster care, whereas the last two show how group homes would address those problems.

The passage does argue that the current foster care system is at least to some extent a failure (choice a), but that is part of the larger argument that something else must be done.

The passage refers to prisons in the last paragraph, but this is to compare the treatment of children in foster care with the treatment of inmates in prison, not to compare group homes to prisons (choice c).

The passage argues that children in foster care need more stability (choice d), but this is one of the supporting ideas, not the main idea. The author may feel that no system is perfect (choice e) and acknowledges that group homes are not a perfect solution, but again, this is a detail within the passage, not the overall main idea.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The passage suggests that the idea of creating group homes in lieu of foster care

Difficulty Level:   Hard

Explanation

In the  last paragraph , the author acknowledges that  “For some, the idea of a government agency housing, clothing, and feeding needy children may sound extreme.”  This suggests that the idea will be resisted.

The author does not appear to think that this idea is long overdue (choice a); the author says  “perhaps it is time”  to consider group homes, not  “it is high time”  or some other phrase that would suggest impatience.

The author is not close-minded enough to suggest that group homes are the only option (choice b).

The statement  “There must be a better means of caring for these children”  and the word  “perhaps”  indicate that the author is thinking about options and possibilities. The author would probably agree that the idea of creating group homes should be researched (choice d), but the passage does not indicate this point.

Finally, the author suggests that the basic rights that should not be denied to children are food, clothes, and shelter—not orphanages themselves, so choice e is incorrect.

Answer: C

Rainman91 · Answer

5. The passage states that

A. children in group homes would get a better education than children in foster care.
B. children in group homes would have more individual attention than children in foster care.
C. children in group homes would find comfort in being with other children who have been taken from their parents.
D. group homes are more cost effective than foster care.
E. a group home system is less likely to be bogged down by bureaucracy.

Confused between B and C. Could someone explain?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

5. The passage states that

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

Listed among the benefits of a group home is the fact that children would  “develop relationships with others experiencing the trauma of being separated from their parents.”  This suggests that children would find comfort in being with others in similar circumstances. This inference is especially logical given the passage’s emphasis in the second paragraph on how foster care isolates children who have been taken from their parents.

The passage does not mention the quality of education that would be provided to children in group homes, so  choice a  is incorrect.

Choice b  is incorrect because the author does not state how much attention children would get in the group home and because there is no standard for how much attention children get in foster care (some likely get inordinate amounts of attention, whereas others are neglected).

The cost of either childcare option is not discussed, so  choice d  is incorrect.

Finally, because the passage does not discuss the management of the group home system, and because it is logical to conclude that a government-run group home system would also be heavily bureaucratic in nature,  choice e  is also incorrect.

Answer: C

abhishektyga · Answer

Please provide explanation for 3.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author

Explanation

The final sentence suggests that prison inmates—who are provided with food, shelter, and clothing—are sometimes better cared for than children in foster care, who may not get the attention and care they need for their physical and emotional well being.

Nothing states that the author was in prison  (choice a)  or was a foster child  (choice c).

The author also does not suggest that foster parents are often too lenient  (choice b) . Because the author is advocating the creation of group homes to provide better care than the current foster care system, choice e is also incorrect.

Answer: D

ReetArora · Answer

But special group homes isnt't same as government run homes. And main idea is something that author is trying to communicate in entire passsage. D suits more. Can you please explain on this.. stilll confused

Sajjad1994 · Answer

The passage criticizes the current foster care system for being underfunded, poorly managed, and unstable for children. However, the primary focus is on proposing group homes as a superior alternative, detailing their potential benefits (stability, consistent schooling, professional oversight, etc.).  (D)  is partially correct while  (B)  captures the complete idea.

komaljainn_22 · Answer

They are not talking about getting more individual attention in the passage
Try to verify from the passage the option C can be directly inferred from the passage

Today, children whose parents are deemed incapable of caring for them

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Today, children whose parents are deemed incapable of caring for them

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