We see news stories every day about children taken from abusive homes. We assume there must be a program or system that will take care of these children, ensure they are treated well, and allow them to be children again.
But there is a story behind the story that few people speak about. It is the story of the overburdened foster care and child welfare systems, which are tasked with meeting the needs of more than 600,000 children in the U.S.
It is the story of a 6-year-old girl who has been moved to six group homes and three schools in the past two years; the story of a toddler separated from her brothers and sisters during the most vulnerable time in her life; the story of a child receiving a plastic bag of his belongings at the age of 18 because he has “aged out” of the system.
These stories can have better endings, because there is a group of volunteers trained to help advocate for these children. There are people who fight for these abused and neglected children to ensure that their basic rights and essential needs aren’t overlooked or ignored by the system.
These stories can have better endings because of people like you.