the government finally reports on what’s long been known: the children’s care system is a crime against children. outcomes for children taken into care are incredibly poor – they leave school with few qualifications, and no support, often turfed out of the system at age 16(!!!).  within two years, half are unemployed, nearly 20% homeless.  fully half of those under 25 in jail have been in care, as have one third of the entire prison population. nearly half have mental health needs.

as i’ve mentioned here numerous times before, it’s much the same in the states.  children “age out” of the system and end up poor, incarcerated, pregnant or on drugs.  the statistics are astounding, shameful.

these are the kids who’ve already been through more hardships in life than anyone, much less a child, should ever have to experience – parents who were unable or unwilling to care for them properly, no real family to call their own, no feeling of security, bounced around from foster home to foster home, abused, neglected, unloved, afraid… alone.

and instead of doing everything humanly possible to ensure that they are cared for, protected, educated, and supported to become successful adults, we fail them over and over and over again.  they spend their most formative years in lonely and uncertain limbo, and are then thrust into the world and expected to fly.

they are falling.  the most vulnerable children and young adults are falling into the cracks and gutters of the system, of our society.  tomorrow they will fall off the front page.

how can we continue to let it happen?

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