Why the Foster System is Broken By: Abby Barrett

Imagine being locked in a room given only a piece of bread and a glass of water once a day, every day. Imagine not wanting to go home in pure fear of being beaten and abused. That is what nearly one-third of foster kids go through daily. With so many children being placed in foster homes and not enough regulations and social workers to manage them, foster children are often placed and forgotten. The Department of Family and Children Services is the government agency tasked with overseeing the foster care system. DFACS is often underfunded and under-staffed, which leads to foster kids being forgotten within the system. If more people were aware of these issues, the children in the system would have a better chance at being treated properly.

The foster system needs to be fixed because children from birth to age 18 are beaten, starved, and neglected on a daily basis within the system. According to upworthy.com, a 2014 study showed, “at least 25 states don’t meet the federal standard for keeping kids safe which in care.” To provide a foster home you must be over 18, have one home interview, be literate, and other very standard things. For at least half of the United States to not meet those standards makes the foster system look like it isn’t taken care of. James was one of the unlucky kids who went through the system for all 18 years of his life. In one of his foster homes he had an abusive father. When he saw James hanging out with a black kid he beat him, put a dog collar on him, and cuffed him to a pole near the dog house and forced him to sleep there with no clothes on in the cold of December. The following day, the foster father told him, “If I ever see you hanging with that [n-word] again you will be out here for a week.” James was someone’s best friend, future soulmate, and more importantly, someone’s son.

As previously mentioned, DFACS is struggling which causes the foster system to suffer. The requirements and regulations need to protect the kids that already struggle enough by not being with their actual family. To help these struggling children, donation centers are set up at most children’s homes and private agencies. Hillgrove is also currently collecting canned goods for Calvary Children’s Home.