Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month, a time to draw attention to the needs of thousands of children in Los Angeles alone and throughout the country that for whatever reason leave their homes and are entrusted to others to provide for their care. With great reluctance, a child is removed from the care of parents and family. The principle reason, of course, is to assure the safety and well-being of the child. But regardless of the reason for removal of the child from the family, foster care, as necessary as it is, can not be the solution, but rather a resource until the child can be restored to the family and community.

For too long we have demonized the families of the children served by the foster care system, judging them to be inadequate and indeed harmful to their children. But the truth is that these families, more often than not, are painfully aware of their challenges and with some assistance want nothing more than to see their children back within their homes. The role of foster care providers like Hillsides is to be a resource for these families and to assist them as they move along a path that will allow their families to be reunited. No matter what trauma a child may have experienced within their family, they want to be reunited--they want to go home.

The challenges are great for these families and, at times, they are significant enough to make it unsafe for a child to be cared for by a parent. Sometimes parents can not serve as the principle care giver, but it is rare that within the family unit there is not a relative that can indeed serve as a fine caregiver, allowing the child to be restored to the family. The value of a child growing up within a familiar and familial setting far outweighs the fine services they may enjoy in an institutional setting.

Foster care, whether offered by a family or in a group setting as we do at Hillsides, is an indispensible resource for the children and youth we serve and their families. It is not a substitute for the family, but rather an important component of care that provides not only a safe place, but also an array of services that helps the child to improve and move along a path that will lead to a stable future. Services are not only offered to the child, but the whole family is engaged to assist with the task of strengthening it to be able to, once again, welcome the child home.

This mission is embraced not only by our staff of extraordinarily gifted professionals,  but our community of supporters. With your assistance, we are a tremendous resource for all those we serve. 

Born Suspect

 This past Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Ben Jealous, head of the NAACP, described the feeling that many African-American men have of being “born suspect” by virtue of nothing more than the color of their skin. He  continued to say that as  a result parents in the Black community make sure to talk with their adolescent children, especially their sons, cautioning them to be sensitive about how their behavior might illicit suspicion at any time for no other reason than because they are Black! Failure to address this with their children only places them at risk of harm.

The shooting and death of Trayvon Martin has once again called attention to the subtle and underlying racism that is part and parcel of our experience as a nation. At any given time at Hillsides, 30 % of the youth we serve are African American and well over 70% of those we serve are people of color. When I consider the harm that any one of these youth might experience not necessarily because of their actions, but simply because of the color of their skin, I am left frightened for them and saddened that still in 2012, racism still haunts our communities.

I am embarrassed to say that as much as I understand that race is a factor in how we perceive people in various situations, I have underestimated what a significant threat it is to the safety and well-being of all people of color. It is unacceptable, that for the youth we serve,  in addition to the many traumas, hardships and challenges that they face, their race should be yet one more threat and yet it is!

It is not sufficient for us to ask our children to watch their backs and be mindful of their actions and the perceptions of other people. It is imperative that we call this issue for what it is—racism—and resolve not only to keep our children safe, but more importantly, by naming the challenge and work diligently to mitigate its impact.

Throughout the nation this week, groups are gathering to raise this issue, grow awareness and solicit a resolve to mitigate the impact of racism on our society. Taking the time to examine how stereotypes so easily influence our perceptions and actions is perhaps the first step in mitigating the impact of racism in our lives. Our efforts can not undo the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s death, but they can help us create a safer and more wholesome society for all children and youth.