Do we too often take for granted the idea of a carefree childhood? 

While abroad in Germany, I became close friends with a girl who would later share her family’s complicated and intense relationship with the United States foster care and adoption systems. 

Five years earlier, her parents had adopted two younger boys (brothers) and have since experienced a whirlwind of both highs and lows as a result of slowly learning how these two boys had spent most of their early childhood. The brothers had been in and out of unstable foster care homes for years as a result of their mother’s harrowing drug addiction. The younger of the two was born with autism while his mother was addicted, leading to his condition being wildly ignored for most of his life. The older of the brothers struggled with extreme food insecurity—where he would gorge himself on any food in sight— fearing that he would have no idea when he might have his next meal. These brothers had become accustomed to relying on no one but  each other. The barriers that had to be torn down in order to show these boys they were now in a stable and supporting home were substantial. My friend and her family still experience remnants of those barriers today. 

These stories and many more tore my heart to pieces. There are times when we all may feel alone, abandoned and unloved. I am thankful that my eyes have been opened to the experiences of these astronomically unheard voices and hope to be able to continue to listen and share them compassionately, so that others of us may also gain an awareness and compassion for these issues.

 We may think that the age of orphanages and dreadful foster homes exist only in the lives of fictional characters such as little orphan Annie, Oliver Twist or Harry Potter, but this isn’t the case. Children aren’t charming underdogs who experience fantastical and wacky adventures throughout their lives. Instead, they’re often victims of a dangerous and unsettling reality. This semester, my goal is to research many different issues relating to the forgotten and abused children throughout the United States for the Old Gold & Black If you have a story to share or would like to learn more about my series, please contact me at [email protected].