Legislation to protect children has been all the rage of late. From Capitol Hill to statehouses nationwide, lawmakers have advanced numerous bills ostensibly intended to safeguard children from abuse and exploitation. Yet through it all, the most vulnerable population of children — foster children — has been overlooked yet again.
According to federal data for fiscal year 2021, the foster system in the United States cares for more than 606,000 children. For too many of them, the refuge of government protection proves itself to be a new hell. Staff shortages, incompetence, and outright neglect among caretakers and bureaucrats routinely endanger foster children, exposing them to the predations of abusers, child-rapists, and murderers. Lax cybersecurity protections in some states have also led to foster children being exploited through the leak and theft of sensitive information.
Comments