The persuasive speech

Persuasive Speech

Did you know that 50% of kids in foster homes die from child abuse a year? There are a half of a million children in the foster care system. Many people are unaware of this hidden tragedy that happens behind closed doors and away from the public eye. We should take a stand and fight for stricter regulations with Child and Youth when children are placed in foster care. We should advocate tougher laws and guidelines for social workers, foster families and the ?system? that runs it.

First, we should talk about the social workers that work for Division and Youth services. The regulations for social workers are poor and unethical. Most states do not have requirements to work in this profession– only a high school diploma and the ability to pass a criminal background check. In Pennsylvania, the state does not demand a license for these workers.

Social workers believe that their actions they take violates the law but say ?they are necessary to comply with ethical standards. Fredrick Reamer a PHD writes, ?social workers follow their own personal option and reasons of why they do the things they do? and ?believe that the laws are unjust and harmful? (Reamer 1). They are suppose to follow the laws that are in place by our Constitution and by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. What gives them the right to be above the law?

In my case coming from New Jersey, the social workers came in and took us out– for good reasons. In Pennsylvania, my neighbor was going to have her kids taken away because they missed so many days of school. Child and Youth came to her house and demand a reason for this. Jess, my neighbor, told me ? the lady came into my house and yelled at me in front of my kids, calling me an

unfit parent and said that they were going to take the kids? (Jess, PI). Children and Family Justice Center says that technique is a criteria and ?see the bully fight as worth having, stand up for despised, demonized, brilliant and tenacious children? (Bernadine Dohrn 1).

What should be done with these so called social workers? We should demand that all get a license in this field– which requires a masters or a doctrine degree. We should tell the National Association of Social Workers to enforce penalties on those who do not follow the law and ethical standards that are in place to protect the families and children that are innocent. We have to come together as families and protect ourselves and know the laws in our state.

Another problem we face is the foster homes and state run facilities. Agencies fail to investigate abuse reports, find permanent homes for children or track children under care. In Pennsylvania a judge wrote, ?In recent years, the system run by DHS and overseen by DPW had repeatedly failed to fulfill its mandates and unfortunately has often jeopardized the welfare of the children in its care? (Rick Thomas 1).

Did you know that there are 20,000 kids in foster care in Pennsylvania and 30 percent of them have no prospect of having a permanent home? Or that ?28% of children in foster homes are abused a year and half of them die of abuse? (Donna Devane 1). There is more abuse occurring in foster homes than the general public and it is increasing each year.

For example, Gilbreanie Wallace was placed in foster care because her grandmothers house became unlivable when her pipes broke and flooded her house. Instead of Division and Youth helping the family out and finding them another house, they took Gilbreanie and placed her with a family. A
few months later, she was killed by the foster mother, who had several complaints against her already
and a record of a troubled history.

Thousands of children are removed from homes a day, mostly from non-abusive parents. Why does this occur? States receive thousands of dollars for grant money– which taxpayers pay– from the Federal government when they put children in State Protective Services, foster care or state run facilities. They get even more money if the parental rights are terminated after 15 months. This is destroying families and our country.

Innocent families cannot afford the thousand of dollars to get an attorney to defend their rights and by that time it is too late. Even if they are proved to be innocent they are forced into treatment. Devane writes, ?falsely accused families run up the National Defense Budget by 4.1 billion dollars a year? (Devane 1). The taxpayers are left to pay for this bill. What impact does this have on the kids that go through the foster care system and are abused?

Children experience separation anxiety disorder, trauma, physical and sexual abuse and sometimes death. It is a scary and traumatic experience being taken away from your family and your home. To be put in a home that sometimes are classified as unfit and not healthy for children to be in. Many states are cracking down on these homes and facilities but it is not enough. California alone had last year ? 3,000 cases of foster care facility problems that were not reported to the state? (Ben Tanzer 1).

Let’s put a stop this abuse in foster care settings and demand to the government to enforce stricter laws. We should advocate that every state has the same standards in foster and adoptive homes. We should fight for the right to have every person gets background checks before they let children stay with them. The government should have mandatory classes that teach these parents instead of throwing kids at their door with no prior knowledge.

The law states in Pennsylvania, ?only a Police Officer is allowed to remove the children from the home and put them into protective custody when their in danger? (Rutherford Institute 1 ). Many
states in this country have this law, except a few like New Jersey, where they are allowed to take the children without consent of the parents. So why does Pennsylvania allow social workers to slip through the cracks or have our homes searched without probably cause?

We should crack down on the government and stand up for our children. The Federal government should have more investigations on child abuse reports that occur in foster care facilities. The states should start penalizing more homes and facilities that fail to provide promised medical and health services, and not checking children in their care. They should also change their reviews on each case.

The Federal law requires a six month review for each child in foster care. We should petition for them to change that review to more frequent ones. I believe this would lessen the children that are waiting for homes.
We should also demand that Pennsylvania change their adoption policy to an ?open adoption?. Right now the law states, ?adoption is a closed adoption, where you have no ties and cut from your birth family? (Adam Fleming 1). Many children in foster care do not want to have permanent homes because of them loosing ties with their birth parents. Changing the laws would encourage families and the children to move into permanent homes.

The goal with the foster care system is to look after the children and defend them when abuse is at hand. I believe somewhere along the line we got off track and now the government set out to help is destroying our children. Cases that involve birth parents abusing their children should be top priority and the children should be taken out. Social workers and the Federal Government should not try to intervene with parents trying to raise their kids for something they do not like.