Who am I talking about?
Foster kids.
There are kids born to the worst parents imaginable. kids who's parents tried to beat the gay out of them, kids who's mistake was looking like a parent's ex-spouse, people that marry abusers and turn a blind eye to their child being literally tortured, parents that use their kids as a business. those kids need rescue.
Once upon a time we thought there was a savior for such kids. We've seen kids rescued from hell.
What a pretty lie. The truth is foster care is over burdened so they don't really give a care to all the kids they take.
worse, not all the kids there were justified in being taken. Children have been taken simply because the parent is poor, or because the parent is adversarial (wouldn't you be if the government was there to question your parenting?) or in Fife Scotland; learning disabled, in England and Canada if your child is autistic. The system is filled with previously unabused children.
The idea that they give the kid a better life then they had is a pretty lie.
I lost a friend, I don't know if she is dead or not she said she was going to close out her facebook and kill her self. Her story is a hard one. She was taken away at 8. kicked out of foster care at 18. no support no family.
between them she lived in group homes and foster homes where she was molested and emotionally neglected. In addition to that she was an lgbt youth. She was discriminated against by the staff and not allowed to go to school because they were afraid she'd have sex with all the kids in school.
Apparently it was only okay if it was done in the group home by a staff member. The kid had cops called on her there a lot. violent altercations, fights etc. she later told me that all she wanted was a hug. They don't do hugs in the group home she was in. unless it was the guy who gave 15 year olds adult films to watch and molested them. what does that teach? I know what it teaches... what do YOU think it teaches?
this kid became a fighter, she fought for social change, for lgbt youth in the canadian foster system. but the problem was she had no support to help her. no mom and foster care doesn't want to hear from you when you age out... they don't care. they can't make money off of you. So with no one but internet friends she felt alone. the worst part is I doubt any of those people that raised her at 8 to 18 will even go to the funeral or even think about her. they most certainly won't try to change the system.
the next girl that has a special place in my heart is stuck where my friend was. except she has autism. Autistic children think differently they are geniuses but they need special help to make their way in the world. Like any child they work best with love and trust and familiarity.
she was taken not because of abuse at home (there was none) but because the school could not handle her and wanted her father to drug her. he would not. he could handle her at home. through careful work he taught her not to act up. she behaved well at home. the school taught her she can avoid her work by throwing a temper tantrum.
the ministry decided they would take her from her father. its october she has taken in july. would they chase off a bear like her father did to protect her? Would they give her the hugs she needs or would they stop her meltdowns and sadness with more medication?
What chance does a child like her... what chance does any kid have in that Russian roulette we call foster care?
does anyone care? will a politician finally make a positive change?
will foster care finally adopt the slogan "hugs not drugs?"
Will they finally weed out the perverts that creep in and find muted victims?
I think to answer that we must first ask "will you stand up and make them do it?"
