I often hear stories about abusive foster parents. It's sort of an archetype, I think––the wicked foster parent. As someone going through the process of becoming licensed to adopt, I can't imagine someone going through all of this just to abuse the children that come under their care.

Why do you think abuse in foster homes happens? Is it as common as it seems?

In some very sad way, it's easier to understand an abusive biological parent. Maybe there's a way that parent 'didn't choose' (I mean, of course they did) parenthood. Nor would the non-choice excuse abuse. But to become licensed by the state, go through a home study, complete mountains of paperwork, and then abuse a child? I don't get it. Why become a foster parent at all?