Far From the Tree

“Foster care” is the widely-accepted term for a system in which children are temporarily placed in another home or family situation because their parents or guardians can no longer care for them. Children may be placed in foster care for different reasons, ranging from domestic abuse to the death of one or more parents. In some situations, a parent or legal guardian may voluntarily place their child in foster care if they feel they can no longer care for the child to the best of their abilities. In Far from the Tree, Joaquin finds himself in this exact situation.

While foster care is often used to protect children from dangerous homes, the system is deeply flawed and can often result in more trauma for children. According to the Children’s Home Society of Minnesota, approximately 23,000 children “age out” of foster care each year and are never adopted. Of these children who age out, roughly 60% of boys have been convicted of a crime, and 7 out of 10 girls will become pregnant before age 21. About half of all children who age out of foster care will wrestle with substance abuse, and only 3% will earn a college degree while 1 in 5 will become homeless at the age of 18. Foster care may be a life-saving alternative to a dangerous home, but it is not always an improvement, especially if foster homes are not closely monitored for signs of abuse and neglect. The data suggests that the instability and inconsistency of long-term foster care may do more harm than good, and children are often thrust into adulthood without the tools necessary to be successful.

According to Lifelong Adoption, approximately 100,000 children are adopted annually in the United States. About 50,000 children are adopted from foster care each year, nearly equal to the number of children adopted through private agencies. White children are adopted at the highest rate and make up 37% of all annual adoptions, whereas Hispanic children (like Joaquin) make up only 15%. However, when private adoption is used, this discrepancy becomes even greater, and 50% of privately adopted children are white, while only 13% are Hispanic. Most adoptive parents are highly educated, and when asked about reasons for adopting, the top 3 answers from adoptive parents were “to provide a permanent home for a child” (81%), “a desire to expand family” (69%), and “inability to have a biological child” (52%).

In Far from the Tree, Benway points out the strange duality of foster care and adoption: Adoption is often seen as the cure-all for the ills of foster care, but as Maya learns, adoption does not always guarantee protection from broken or abusive homes. Removing and placing children into and out of families is controversial and packed with strong emotions. When it comes to adoption and foster care, successful placement is only possible with adequate funding, aggressive mental health services, and a cultural shift around the stigma of foster care and adoption.