Vulnerable And Hidden

Just because a child is in foster care doesn't mean that child's life means nothing.

How many people know personally a kid in foster care? Do you know what happens to kids in the foster care system? Probably one of the times when the public becomes aware of these children is when one dies in care. California, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas have all lost track of the locations of foster children. And those aging out of the system know all too well how all the supports just disappear when they turn age 18, although some can still receive support up to age 21.

Holly Schlaack is well aware of the difficulties that children encounter when they become part of the system. She worked as a case worker and Guardian Ad Litem in Cincinnati. She has written a book, INVISIBLE KIDS: MARCUS FIESEL'S LEGACY, about what happens to children in the foster care system, as only an insider could know. It's a story of heartbreak and torment, but also successes and making a difference; it's about what works and what doesn't, in the system.



Ms. Schlaack went on to form INVISIBLE KIDS PROJECT, with the goal of educating and engaging the community, shedding a light on what occurs, advocating transparency, and seeking commonsense reform. Much of the work of this group is done through writing letters that advocate system change. At this point, one of the campaigns is working on a national level to, among the changes, maintain a national database, divided by locale, detailing the deaths that occur within foster care. As those who work in the field realize, those deaths can quickly disappear without proper examination of what went wrong. Instead there is a mentality of circling the wagons to prevent leaks of any small amount of information beyond the information that the media manage to obtain.

There is also a call by this group to have one adult champion, or advocate, for each child in foster care. There is CASA, COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (an already existing organization, not part of Invisible Kids Project), who are trained volunteers. They follow a child or a family of children through the foster care system, advocating for permanent placement within 18 months, one of the current standards, and keeping contact with the child throughout their time in foster care. They help to advocate for services to meet their particular child's needs. There aren't enough of them for every child to have one, so Invisible Kids Project is advocating one for every child. By doing so, foster care systems won't be losing track of foster children; they will no longer be invisible.

The project also maintains a blog, which talks about what happens to some of the children in foster care. Some is heart-rending, but some is also inspirational, including the story of Davion, age 16, who had lost his foster placement and came before a church congregation with just one request - he wanted a family, and a family he got. It can be rather difficult for children with no permanent adult in their lives.

Holly Schlaack (right) with her summer intern (left) and the host of a Sunday Newsmaker's Program on Channel 12.

Unless those children are sophisticated enough that they keep asking and asking for their needs to be met, their lives may just blow in whatever direction the wind is blowing. That's what stands out about these, our children in need. These are everyone's children; they, are after all, wards of the State. They are everyone's children, but no one's children, sometimes drifting from place to place. I know from my own experience with foster children that the need is great. They do, indeed, need adults who know what's going on in their lives to speak up for them, speak often and loudly. Holly Schlaak's group, Invisible Kids Project, is doing just that. The more we speak, the more the pressure for those in charge to provide answers.

Here we are, one of the richest countries in the world, and our foster care system leaves innocent children vulnerable and suffering.

Thanks to this article by Pollination Project: https://thepollinationproject.org/grants-awarded/holly-schlaack-invisible-kids-project/; and this article from Tampa Bay Times about Davion: http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/finally-a-family-for-davion/2225047.

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