Tim Barrus New York Times
When it comes to reopening schools in the middle of a Covid pandemic, foster children walk a very fine line. It is very easy for them to lose their balance.
When we cover parenting, we forget about thousands when we leave foster parenting out of our focus. Foster parents are my heros.
They are supported by… I can’t really think of any institution they are supported by. SNAP allots on average of a dollar per meal. Per kid. That is not support. It is abuse.
Most of these kids expect to be abused because they have arrived abused and scarred. Why should the State be any different. The kids are right. The State is corrupt. The status quo is corrupt. Kindness is the last invisibility. These kids know this: If they are forced to go back to school, they will be the first to die.
They are correct. Canaries in the coal mine.
Foster parents don’t have time to know other parents. You cannot be a foster parent and defy the rules. If kids must return to school, kids must return to school. Even if it kills them. We are going to face thousands of them running away. As fast as they can. Kids at-risk are at-risk for You Name It.
If you think that sex work went on disease vacation, you are sadly unaware of reality. Parenting has failed these kids. Education has failed these kids. Government can’t even feed these kids. Public Health is unavailable to these kids unless they can prove who they are and where they are from.
No questions asked is a fantasy.
They’re property and they know it. The are the property of the State. Foster parents have their backs up against the wall on a good day. These are not good days.