Foster/Adoptive Parenting

In fiscal year 2002, the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services logged 184,924 cases of alleged child abuse/neglect, with 47,409 of these cases being confirmed. As a comparison, fiscal year 2005 saw an increase to 61,433 confirmed victims of child abuse and neglect statewide. In keeping with this trend, child victims in Texas increased to 67,737 by the end of 2006. As alarming as these figures are, there are undoubtedly a substantial number of these tragedies that go unreported each year. This physical and emotional violence against helpless children is disgusting and should certainly be considered as an epidemic by anyone's reckoning.

As foster/adoptive parents, my wife and I are painfully aware that for every individual statistic these figures represent, there is a heartbreaking story few of us can imagine. As an example, one of the first placements we were offered as foster parents was an infant with a fractured leg due to parental abuse. In fact, recent figures indicate that 15-20% of all confirmed child abuse cases involve skeletal injury. This kind of violence against any child, not to mention an infant, is incomprehensible to those of us who were fortunate enough to have been raised by loving parents. It is incomprehensible, but by no means is it unusual. Indeed, on the day of this writing, the evening news reported that an infant was placed in scalding water by her mother. The burns the baby incurred were so severe the child died. Her older siblings were taken into custody by Child Protective Services. These outrages occur all too frequently. They are happening in your town, and possibly even on your street. In 2005, TDPRS Region 3, which includes Dallas and Tarrant Counties, alone registered 13,461 confirmed cases of child abuse/neglect, averaging 38 per day.

If you think that these children are immediately being placed in foster care, think again. Recent news reports reveal that CPS often has to struggle to find placements for these children and has even had to resort to housing them at CPS offices until appropriate accommodations are found.

It is hard to know how to stop parents from harming their children, but there is something we can do after all. We can choose to provide shelter and a safe haven for the innocents that are living a genuine nightmare of abuse, neglect and separation. Many of us feel a desire to "make a difference." We may give to the many fine children's charities that exist, or contribute our time and money in some other way. Foster and adoptive parenting, as I have come to realize, is a richly fulfilling way to give more than your money, it is a way to give of yourself. However, be forewarned, it's not for everyone. It requires an enormous amount of love, patience, sacrifice, devotion, time and work, and one must weigh whether it is the right path for them.

Our children are our most precious gift and look to us to provide everything they need, both physically and emotionally. If you are someone who cares about children and longs to leave this world just a little bit better than you found it, then you may want to consider foster/adoptive parenting as a way to do just that. I can guarantee that you will make a difference every minute of every day.

John Benoist