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A CHILD NAMED "ANYBODY"
by Willie Hudson
Children are the most important aspect of our future. They will decide which way our country and communities will develop. More often than not,
our children are a product of what we believe and practice. To most of us, our children are a joyous part of our life. We provide them love and an opportunity for growth. We educate, train, protect, and nurture them,
however, there are children that are not this fortunate. They are under a different set of circumstances and teachings. Children who are abused and neglected within the Foster/Group Home Care System. Children who are
taken from abuse and neglect and delivered into more abuse and neglect.
To these children we force the belief that flowers cannot grow in a garden infested with weeds. We push the belief they cannot be any better
than their past experiences even though we have not given them the best we could provide. We teach history instead of future. We preach the problem without a solution. We give them garbage and expect fruit. We give
nothing and expect everything. We give them violence and expect peace. We take away self-esteem and expect pride. We rob them of their childhood and expect men and women. We force survival while we take their lives. We
talk of family but we give them solitude. We talk about being true to yourself while we give them hypocrisy. I would like to introduce you to a child named "Anybody."
"Anybody" came from what
was perceived to be a warm home life, sharing life with mother, father, brothers and sisters. One day, it was noticed that dad was always gone from the house and mother seemed depressed all the time. It was not long,
when dad went out and did not return home. Mother could not control her anger and pain, and soon needed medicine to deal with the changes in the family. It became apparent mother needed help with the children.
Grandmother did all she could, but it was never enough for everybody. When grandmother passed away, mother took so much medicine, she didn't recognize her own children. It was not long before she could not work, get
food, or provide the clothes for her children. When the neighbors noticed the problem, they called the "people" to come and protect us from our mother. "Anybody" was soon living with strangers, and
all the family was in different places. They called these places "foster and group homes." These are places for children whose parents cannot take care or love them anymore. There are over 500 of these places
in our city for over 112,000 of anybodies children to share. These places do not provide the necessary things needed for "Anybody" to develop or help heal the pain of being without the family. The adults who
owned these places do not like many of the children. The abuse and neglect suffered by "Anybody" at home was nothing compared to the type of abuse and neglect encountered here. Like most of the other children,
"Anybody" started doing badly in school. "Anybody" goes to a doctor every week for medication to help her/him "calm down." In fact, "Anybody" is given this medication all the time
whether there is a need to calm down or not. There was a time when she/him was given to much and had to be taken to the hospital.
It is hard to make friends in these places. One day, one of "Anybody's"
friends was found in a parking lot dumpster with massive head injuries from the other children in the home who did not like him. "Anybody" heard on the news about a little boy who was killed in one of these
places because they thought he was faking an asthma attack to get out, so they did not give him the medication he needed. Once on the news, "anybody" hear there was 26, 947 children placed in this system for
the first time. Educational opportunities are something "Anybody" could not take advantage of in this type of circumstance. Less then 25% of foster youth enroll in college, and only 7% of foster youth will
ever enroll in a four year university. 67% of all emancipated foster youth who enroll will drop out of college before graduation. A third of them will turn to crime, be on welfare, or homeless because we cannot deal
with life situations.
The Foster/Group Home system is not for "anybody's" child. For those unfortunate children who have no choice, it makes it a hard life and one without much hope. This could be
"anybody's" child. But by the grace of God, it could have been you. Take the time to learn about the child that may live right next door to you. Children are our most important asset and our future. Be sure
you have an investment! Whose child are you? Are you "anybody's" child? Thank God you're not!
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