Social Issue Paragraph

Adam B

Mrs. Zurkowski

Yellows

9/14/10

Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies by Jill Wolfson

Foster Children

Search Terms: Health Issues for Foster Children, Foster Homes, Child Welfare Agencies, Health Services, Physical and Mental Problems in Foster Children, Money Used on Foster Children, Separation of Family

Foster Children

            One major topic discussed in Home, and Other Big, Fat Lies is Foster Children. This topic had to do with the main character of the book, who was a foster child. According to the Urban Institute, “800,000 children in the United States spend time in foster care as a result of abuse and neglect.”(http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311211) “Many foster children have a lot of mental and physical issues along with a lot of health problems” (http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311211) “Child welfare agencies are responsible for meeting the health and mental health needs of all children they take into custody.” (http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311211) Many services are available for foster children, including the Medicaid program, but many states have not extended the program to support all of the needs of every foster child. Without these needs met, many foster children end up going to another foster home to try and begin a new life. Foster Children are an important part to this country and they need to be respected like a normal citizen of The United States.

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