Published on Mar 2, 2015
"... I was just at the Tennessee State Capital with our group and we were speaking about the Foster Care system and what many people don't realize is how easy it is for a child to be placed into foster care. Sadly, it comes down to numbers and what is truly best for a child falls second to those numbers. I don't know why but the image of a child who has been taken from home with belongings in garbage bag, whether the child was removed needlessly or justifiably, is heartbreaking. After all, the entire thing is heartbreaking but that plastic garbage bag just screams "you don't matter". But people also need to know that because of the secrecy involved with removal of children the general public is unaware of high rate of wrongful removal of children from good, loving, non-abusive homes is reported in some reports as high as 17 out of 18 removals being from non-offending, non-abusive, loving homes. Let that number sink in, 17 out of 18. In my home state, approximately 22 children are removed daily and placed into foster care. And those are just the foster care numbers. Data from the Casey Foundation clearly demonstrates that there is quota being maintained to maintain the Federal Title IV E-F funding received by states for placement of children into foster care. These federal programs are a use it or lose funding, meaning if the state doesn't have the appropriate number of foster children and label the children appropriately, well, they lose the funding. The trauma for removal of a child is known and well founded in the healthcare industry. The statistics on dozens of studies demonstrate that children are far more likely to suffer abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and death - up to 12 times more likely. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over (Albert Einstein). If these research projects are correct then we are creating a generation of very emotionally damaged children that will have everlasting effects into adulthood and a big impact on society. Basically, a very flawed system has evolved from a Federal program that was intended to help but because of how it was written has actually promoted systemic failure whereby Child Protective Service Agencies are putting funding statistics over the needs and well being of children and families. It further decays the process for truly needy and abused children to get the help they desperately need. The future impact on this nation will be devastating as these numbers are maintained by states each year. You may not be affected directly today but the future? The future of your children? Your grandchildren? Direct or indirect through a dating choice made by a child or grandchild. The parents who win against the system spend in the tens of thousands of dollars on brief cases and in many cases over one hundred thousand dollars. If you earn more than poverty level in your area then you won't be able to get the mostly ineffective court appointed representation, if you are fortunate to have a few thousands dollars extra per month to pay a private attorney and you are smart enough to choose the right one then you might survive an allegation from Child Protective Services, but if you are like the average American and earning enough to live but not having a lot extra at the end of the month then you better hope Child Protective Services never gets an anonymous call about your parenting because you might just find your child on the receiving end of services from all the Child Abuse Industry businesses (like for profit Foster Care and Adoption Agencies). Family placement? Not usually because the Federal Funding is meant for foster placement. Food for thought. Just the same, the children in foster care now that were simply part of the state's net to maintain their foster placement quota deserve as much love and advantage as they can get. The black garbage, forever a symbol of what was taken from them and that simply breaks my heart. ..."
Source: https://youtu.be/mgLo7AtKPAM
FamilyForwardProject
*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207
