The Toll of Foster Care
Foster kids are more likely to become young mothers, a new study finds. The University of Chicago study found that almost half of all girls who had been in foster care became pregnant by the age of 19. The study also found a high rate of multiple pregnancies in a girl’s teenage years.
One, it's the only way to access housing and assistance after being kicked out when they turn 18.
ReplyDeleteTwo, it's all they know having been institutionalized.
Three, it's the best way to replace the family they were ripped from.
You create what you desire, and that is a family.
Last but not least, it is the best way to keep the industry going because their babies will eventually be snatched to breed the next generation of teenage mothers.
Foster care takes a toll on almost all kids who must grow up in placement. One of the BIG problems with the foster care system is that the people who make the decision regarding what is "in the best interests of the child" haven't a clue what it is like to be a foster child or how to fix this broken system of care. A new book, titled Growing Up in the Care of Strangers: The Experiences, Insights and REcommendations of Eleven Former Foster Kids, counters most of the current practices and policies followed by the foster care system. More information about this book, its editors and authors is available at www.williamgladdenfoundation.org.
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