The National government tends to push policy pertaining to family matters back to the state and local courts therefore, my concerns lye with the State of Texas. How is it that we have a judicial system in Texas that allows abused and neglected children to be overlooked and not cared for in way that will allow them to one day be functional responsible citizens in their time? We have all heard it before, “not enough funding”, “resources are scarce” and “social workers are over worked.”
Children who are neglected /abused are pushed through a system not adequate to handle high volumes of case loads. We see how effectively our state manages our case loads on CNN with disgusting headlines of victims finally murdered. Their little lives had a case number with CPS or victim services and they were simply overlooked. Do you hate the abuser? Why? It’s highly likely they too were part of a vicious cycle of abuse and neglect which are system eventually dismissed.
Other victims go to foster homes and sadly statistics show many in foster care have a surprisingly low chance of surviving successfully because they experience some form of continued abuse.
The state sometimes offers free counseling or a reduced rate therapy. For most families they want these “incidents” to disappear and a once a week drive to a therapist is a reminder to the child and the parent of misperceived faults. It can take months before a therapist can get a person to open up or truly understand the depths of emotional and mental damage. Parent’s, eventually stop attending important meetings or feel the care has been adequate, time simply needs to pass. There are many reasons families don’t reach out for help and our state doesn’t manage them.
Why doesn’t our government design a tracking system that will allow long term care? Too much money? What about the money put into victims care after they commit a legal offense. They are on the other side of the law and they won’t slip through the cracks now. Our system for dealing with abused and neglected children is a band-aid. The truth, their isn’t big money in focusing on changing our system for victims. A lot of the talented folks stray away from this sort of policy. Most people who are committed to this work do so for personal motivations not related to money.
It’s no secret abuse and neglect can affect people well into their elder years if not managed properly. But again we have a legal system which doesn’t lose track of you once you have committed a crime. There is almost never a chance the failure to handle a charge from the state will just go away without incident. Why is it different for our victims?
Does our government really know and understand the depths of emotional and mental damage a person carries into their adulthood when not managed? Like I said there is no “big money” in these issues. There is a small group of really fabulous people in our state and all over the world who share my thoughts maybe with less cynicism but they exist. Everything in Texas is big when will it be big on all it’s children.
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2 comments:
This would be one article of complete truth that i would completely agree with. With only a few minor additions that i hope you would find accentuate the purpose of this writing. You wrote that your concerns lie souly on the shoulders of texas and her government. Well i would have to say that those days of standing on our own are over. At least in some areas concerning the welfare of the people. Money has been spread thin throughout the different causes and societies that are either trying to help, or just hording the cash for themselves. Being able tell who does help has changed from difficult to down right impossible.
A new view needs to be taken from a nonstagnant eye. The government saw fit to "blackmail" states to get the drinking age they wanted. Well, if they are that concerned about the welfare of those that become intoxicated then they should even more concern for the children that can't. I not preaching for the national government to come in and take over the child welfare department, but at least take a few steps to help those who are making a difference.
A drug war is being fought with no end to the money and personell available to fight it. While a child fights for just a loving embrace, or a warm meal that could have been provided by just a small sum of that drug war money. Our schools dwindle away because teachers aren't paid to care anymore. So lesson plans become lack causing grade scores to falter and, the governments reaction is to shut the school down. While they put those children who didn't have the benefit of learning what they should have, and place them in a place where students who've had the benefits so they learn what feeling inferior is like early in life. Brilliant!!
Wait there's more smart moves to come. A child who can't be cared for at home is placed in a foster home with little to no thought pertaining to the mental effects this has on them. Yet, we can have clinics set up for the woman who keep their children and still suffer seperation anxiety. They child will know what its like to be cared about. The child down the street thats dejected and hurt can call a help line to talk to people who really don't care to talk they just want the paycheck.
Yes, all your concern is just and right. I agree with you wholeheartedly, but unfortunately our government is just not enough anymore. They are going to need a push to save what matters most...our children, and no amounts of votes is going to get them going. So I say its time for a helping hand with a fresh hopeful eye. Not the current closed fist from power blind officials.
Response to the Texas Band-aid.
I agree with the point the Texas Band-aid is making regarding the foster care system in Texas. Futher in depth to the point, I think there should be a better process and elimination system in place when the state government select these foster families. In the past I have heard about how these foster parents throws these foster kids out onto the streets as soon as they reach their 18th birthday because the state no longer pays them to take care of them. It's a horrible and inhumane act to do, yet the foster parents claim they can't afford to take care of them. Instead of throwing these young kids out, why can't they get them ready and prepared for the real world. The state should find more adequate foster parents for these children and ask them the question of what they are going to do when the child reaches the adult age and no funds are coming in. http://www.thetexaschild.blogspot.com/
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