Philosophy of Justice Cover Letter
Total Word Count: 618
The concept of Foster Care can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman societies, and references to fostering children can even be found in the Bible, the Torah, and Qu’Ran. (Foster) In today’s society, foster care is a much more destructive concept. Children are removed from the care of their parents because of, abuse or neglect, including parental drug abuse, and are being circumstantially punished for their parents’ decisions. Not only are they carrying the emotional, and mental wounds, caused by their parents, with them for the rest of their lives, but now they will be forced into a system designed to prioritize efficiency over children.
According to the National Council For Adoption, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released its annual Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data for fiscal year 2017 stating, “For the fifth consecutive year, there was an increase in the number of children in foster care, increasing by more than 6,400 children since last fiscal year to 442,995. The number of children in foster care awaiting adoption increased to 123,437, reaching a nine-year high. These are disturbing trends, as more and more children are entering temporary homes, unsure of what their futures hold.” The increased need for foster care homes comes at a time when foster family retention is ridiculously low. Leaving more children at risk of being looked over or forgotten by the system.
With the increased need for foster homes, more children are being placed into group homes. Group homes are homes in which multiple unrelated children live until foster families can be found. Group homes are on occasion supervised by guards, or just the foster parent themselves, but youth are typically not restricted from leaving the home at any time. Because of this group homes have the highest rates of sex trafficking, violence, criminality, etc. than any other type of foster care placements. “Sex trafficking is a major problem in group homes. Within 48 hours 80% of runaways are approached and coerced into the sex trade. Once in they are sold 15-20 times a day for up to 7 years.” (Foster Shock) This adds to the 74 percent of the cases, girls are exploited in sex trafficking AFTER placement in foster care[in Florida].”(Reid). Group homes though are not the only place where children are at high risk for sexual assault. Sexual assault is also ridiculously common in foster homes, and the kids are not often believed. (Foster Shock) In a case stated in the film “FosterShock,” one child was taken out of a foster home, because of sexual assault another child was placed into said home and was sexually abused within the first week. No one was ever charged in either case.
These are CHILDREN, being sexually exploited because they are vulnerable due to their lack of knowledge of social and emotional attachment, and not enough preventative actions are being taken. Aristotle’s philosophy regarding justice states that to determine if something is just or injust you must identify the telos of said thing. Telos means the goal or intention behind the thing, and whether or not it is fulfilling its intention properly. The purpose of Foster Care is to provide safe, stable homes for children whose family circumstances have lead them to removal from their parents/guardian, or at the loss of their parents/guardian. Yet children in Foster Care are five times more likely to be sexually exploited than other children. We need to go back and remember why foster care exists, TO HELP PROTECT CHILDREN, and truly make this the core value of the foster system, not money, or efficiency.
Total Word Count: 618
The concept of Foster Care can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman societies, and references to fostering children can even be found in the Bible, the Torah, and Qu’Ran. (Foster) In today’s society, foster care is a much more destructive concept. Children are removed from the care of their parents because of, abuse or neglect, including parental drug abuse, and are being circumstantially punished for their parents’ decisions. Not only are they carrying the emotional, and mental wounds, caused by their parents, with them for the rest of their lives, but now they will be forced into a system designed to prioritize efficiency over children.
According to the National Council For Adoption, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released its annual Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data for fiscal year 2017 stating, “For the fifth consecutive year, there was an increase in the number of children in foster care, increasing by more than 6,400 children since last fiscal year to 442,995. The number of children in foster care awaiting adoption increased to 123,437, reaching a nine-year high. These are disturbing trends, as more and more children are entering temporary homes, unsure of what their futures hold.” The increased need for foster care homes comes at a time when foster family retention is ridiculously low. Leaving more children at risk of being looked over or forgotten by the system.
With the increased need for foster homes, more children are being placed into group homes. Group homes are homes in which multiple unrelated children live until foster families can be found. Group homes are on occasion supervised by guards, or just the foster parent themselves, but youth are typically not restricted from leaving the home at any time. Because of this group homes have the highest rates of sex trafficking, violence, criminality, etc. than any other type of foster care placements. “Sex trafficking is a major problem in group homes. Within 48 hours 80% of runaways are approached and coerced into the sex trade. Once in they are sold 15-20 times a day for up to 7 years.” (Foster Shock) This adds to the 74 percent of the cases, girls are exploited in sex trafficking AFTER placement in foster care[in Florida].”(Reid). Group homes though are not the only place where children are at high risk for sexual assault. Sexual assault is also ridiculously common in foster homes, and the kids are not often believed. (Foster Shock) In a case stated in the film “FosterShock,” one child was taken out of a foster home, because of sexual assault another child was placed into said home and was sexually abused within the first week. No one was ever charged in either case.
These are CHILDREN, being sexually exploited because they are vulnerable due to their lack of knowledge of social and emotional attachment, and not enough preventative actions are being taken. Aristotle’s philosophy regarding justice states that to determine if something is just or injust you must identify the telos of said thing. Telos means the goal or intention behind the thing, and whether or not it is fulfilling its intention properly. The purpose of Foster Care is to provide safe, stable homes for children whose family circumstances have lead them to removal from their parents/guardian, or at the loss of their parents/guardian. Yet children in Foster Care are five times more likely to be sexually exploited than other children. We need to go back and remember why foster care exists, TO HELP PROTECT CHILDREN, and truly make this the core value of the foster system, not money, or efficiency.