Martha Shirk
Autor von On Their Own: What Happens to Kids When They Age Out of the Foster Care System
Über den Autor
Martha Shirk, a journalist who specializes in social issues Anna S. Wadia is a program director at the Ms. Foundation in New York
Werke von Martha Shirk
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Wissenswertes
- Geschlecht
- female
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- Werke
- 5
- Mitglieder
- 79
- Beliebtheit
- #226,897
- Bewertung
- 3.7
- Rezensionen
- 4
- ISBNs
- 8
Each chapter goes into a lot of detail about one former foster child - what landed them in care, what their home or institutional placements were like, the financial situation they were in when they turned 18, what kinds of transition programs were available, etc. A variety of unique challenges were covered in the eight profiles, and common threads in their stories were uncovered, as well.
This was published in 2004, and I'd be curious to see what, if any, changes have been made since to the foster care systems of the states covered here. I'd especially love to see updated numbers on the cost of care (for a family foster home versus a group home versus an institution, etc.). Not to mention the cost of care in contrast to the cost of prevention strategies (supporting families in various ways so things don't go so far as the removal of a child from a home). But that's a different book, I realize!
There is a great balance between narrative and statistics here that makes this an excellent introduction to the subject for the uninformed. This was a thorough book, and very thought-provoking - even for someone like myself, who has read and thought about the subject before.
I really appreciated that there were some practical ideas in the conclusion for getting involved, and a huge list of the organizations (with contact information) mentioned throughout the book.
I highly recommend it!… (mehr)