Advocacy

Child abuse is an ongoing, everyday issue. There are many reported deaths at the hands
of abuse. Many children aren't removed from an abusive home until its too late. Many children
are in the welfare system for a long period of time, never finding their forever home or being
unable to return to their parents/guardians and aging out of the system. This is such an
important issue because children are innocent creatures, brought into the world and should not
be treated poorly. Welfare/social workers should be better aware of abusive homes and able to
remove children without the worry that there are already too many children in the system.

There also needs to be a more through selection process for foster parents because
children are also abused while with a foster family. There should be better resources for
children who end up aging out of the system and don’t know what to do next. There are also
children taken from homes because their parent(s) are struggling to provide basic necessities
for their child(ren), these parents should be receiving proper education and assistance in order
to help them understand what is needed for heir child and to help them achieve it. Removing a
child from a home because they’d missed a decent amount of school or because some utilities
are shut off is an ineffective way to keep children with their family and out of the system,
therefore taking up space from children who may need to be removed from their homes
because of intentional neglect.

To combat the number of children in the welfare system due to unintentional neglect
the community must be less judgmental and more understanding. Providing aid and education
to parents in order to help them improve their child’s lives so that their children may stay with
their family. The community must take a stronger stance against children being abused in
homes, recognize the different types of intentional abuse, and realize that those situations are
where children should be removed and provided a foster home. The community needs to speak
up for the children who can’t. For example, if Sarah is in a loving home but her mother is
struggling to pay the bills, the community needs to inform the welfare worker that Sarah is in a
loving home and then the community and welfare worker then needs to come together to think
of ways to help Sarah’s mother manage money better and improve her living situation so her
daughter may return home. Conversely if Lily’s father hits her, the community needs to
constantly report that information to a welfare worker until Lily is removed from the home and
safe, the welfare worker and community need to help Lily process what she has and will go
through (such as being placed with a new family) and aid her in adapting to a new environment
and finding a loving foster family that can help her heal through her trauma. As part of the
community, it is my job to offer my services in the ways listed above and be up to date with
laws that help protect children. It is my job to be aware of my students lives and offer comfort
and aid when they need it.