Dear Editor,
The world has reacted with frenzy over the plight of about 2,000 children separated from their parents after illegally entering the USA. My heart goes out to those children and families.
However, I wonder what has to happen right here in our own backyard to make people aware of the much worse situation we allow and support for children in our foster care system.
The 2011 Statistics Canada Census put their numbers at 47,885. The children entering and exiting the system are changing daily so the statistics totally underrepresents the innumerable youngsters being impacted over the years.
The average child in foster care is moved, breaking bonds with caregivers, seven times before exiting the system. Workers and foster parents now are being trained to expect and deal with very high incidents of sexual abuse perpetrated on the youngsters within the system itself and move to the back of the bus, worries about manners, foul language or school performance. Workers are so overloaded with cases, the agencies so underfunded, the requirements to document so great without clerical support, that real case work hardly exists anymore. Stamping out fires is the norm for the workers. Hiding the fires, the norm for the system.
The plight of our own kids is tragic. The scars last a lifetime. The foster care system needs massive reform. When will the media heighten awareness? When will the public outrage begin? When will our government leaders respond?
Adele Bradley (Blair), Advocate
Nepean, Ont.
