Rodney Atkins: 'Love Saved My Life'

Janine, you can say what you want about foster children, but you just show the world who you really are. You are just a selfish old bad who gets her kicks out of putting others down. As far as people adopting outside of the US, what does it matter, as long as children are adopted it does not matter what country they live in. At least in this country when a child is abandoned they are not out on the streets, we have a child welfare system. Since I am part of the problem, why do people pay me to come speak at their events regarding foster care? Interesting thought. Children of the foster care system might be a lot of things, but they never think they are owed anything, unlike people who have never known what it is like to go without. I would rather have had my upbringing then yours because it is obvious who has more class.

Love it!

Janine you have it all wrong. The reason I advocate for foster children is to educate people on the issue of foster care. They have employees to determine if people should become foster parents. My angry bitterness and sense of entitlement? Are you kidding me? I suddenly see why you are so concerned about "accuzations" being made against you. If I had your personality and lack of wit I would be concerned as well. It is easier for people like you to try to discredit others by name calling and "accuzations" rather then with acutal facts. It is obvious what your true motives were when you posted your comments. I hope you sleep well at night knowing that the hate that you spread just might cause a foster child the possibility of a home and family.

Janine, what does accuzations in the Duke Lacrosse case have to do with the potential for foster children to make accusations against their foster parents? You keep trying to make a point regarding foster children but fail to respond with anything regarding actual foster children. Fear is usually a result of ignorance and it is obvious that you and/or your "friends" have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to the issue of foster care. If you cant handle other peoples opinions and feel as if you are being persecuted, then maybe you should not communicate your obviously controversial views on a public message board. Foster children have hard enough lives already so its probably best for people who cannot overcome steriotypes and falsehoods to not try to reach out and help them. I'm sure you and your friends can find a stray to assist, they dont talk back and you will have no risk of any "accuzations".

thetapiafam, thank you for your response. I absolutely agree with you. It is so easy for people to forget why these children are placed in foster care. It sure isnt because their parents showered them with hugs and kisses. I will be the first person to point out to people that yes these foster kids have baggage, the amount of which varies depending on their length and experiences in foster care and the amount of abuse/neglect in their natural home. Foster children typically have what is called Attachment Displacement Disorder, this means that they have learned that they can only count on themselves and no one else. This disorder usually develops in infants when they cry and no one responds. But with the support, encouragement and love from a family they can overcome this. I am now nearly 24 years old, my daughter is soon to be 4 and my adoption should be finalized by the end of next month. I am being adopted by the social worker who removed me from my birth mother at the age of 3. (If you would like to read more about my story you can search for the article Birth of a Mother, written by the St. Petersburg Times in 2005.) The point is, these children need to have someone that believes in them and is willing to invest in them and thier future. The statistics for youth aging out of the foster care system are not very positive. 1/4 will be incarcerated within the first 2 years they are on their own, 1/5 will be homeless. Only 58% will have their high school degree. Less than 3% earn a college degree even though they have tuition exemption at public universities. If this were your child, would this be acceptable? I strongly believe that the more the community is educated, the more the community will help to change the outcomes for these youth.

thetapiafam, thank you for your response. I absolutely agree with you. It is so easy for people to forget why these children are placed in foster care. It sure isnt because their parents showered them with hugs and kisses. I will be the first person to point out to people that yes these foster kids have baggage, the amount of which varies depending on their length and experiences in foster care and the amount of abuse/neglect in their natural home. Foster children typically have what is called Attachment Displacement Disorder, this means that they have learned that they can only count on themselves and no one else. This disorder usually develops in infants when they cry and no one responds. But with the support, encouragement and love from a family they can overcome this. I am now nearly 24 years old, my daughter is soon to be 4 and my adoption should be finalized by the end of next month. I am being adopted by the social worker who removed me from my birth mother at the age of 3. (If you would like to read more about my story you can search for the article Birth of a Mother, written by the St. Petersburg Times in 2005.) The point is, these children need to have someone that believes in them and is willing to invest in them and thier future. The statistics for youth aging out of the foster care system are not very positive. 1/4 will be incarcerated within the first 2 years they are on their own, 1/5 will be homeless. Only 58% will have their high school degree. Less than 3% earn a college degree even though they have tuition exemption at public universities. If this were your child, would this be acceptable? I strongly believe that the more the community is educated, the more the community will help to change the outcomes for these youth.

I did say that I would say no more, but as several people replied to my post I will clarify somewhat.

My husband and I don't care what neighbors, friends, family... what anyone says about us... sticks & stones etc. Their opinions are not the ones we worry about. As professionals however, it is quite different. An accusation, not a proven wrong, just an accusation could have us both suspended immediately. The fallout from such accusations can lead to the belief that "where there is smoke, there is fire" and essentially render us unemployable.

I have 3 rescue dogs, we sponser 5 children, I have taught school, but we don't think we can help a foster child by losing our own means of making a living.

Clearly it is not the child's fault, they learn how to manipulate the system within the system.

I posted here because I was hoping someone might have some insight into how one could protect oneself, one's livelihood, and one's life -- instead so much judgment has been displayed.

Many, many people I meet professionally and personally have love to spare and empty rooms, but have the exact fears that we have. Unless we are judged less harshly or unless those who do not have such fears foster/adopt in greater numbers, the real losers are children in care, left to rot.

Thank you to those who tried to understand us.

I am glad to see that attention is being brought to the fact that there are so many children waiting for forever homes right here in our country. Our foster child's adoption is about to be final and she has been a wonderful blessing in our life.

Rodney,

The two sets of parents that gave you back were not real parents, glad they returned you and you ended up with parents that REALLY loved you and didn't care about the sacrifices they have to do for you! The other two couples missed the blessing of bringing you up. Their loss!

As a young adult who was placed into foster care at the age of 3 I am saddened to read some of the comments on this article. Maybe people should take a step back and remember that these foster kids were abused/neglected through no fault of their own, then placed in the homes of complete strangers and taken away from everything they know. I lived in 28 different foster homes before I aged out of foster care. I never wrongly accused anyone of hurting me or tarnished anyone's reputation and I had some amazing foster parents (and some not so great ones as well). Before anyone steriotypes foster children maybe they should keep in mind that these kids go through the same life events as any other kid and then add about 28 different families to the situtation. How would you handle that? Not every foster child handles this the appropriate way, but not every foster child ruins the reputations of the people that took them in either. I also ask you to think about how many false accuzations are issued by children who have no connection to the foster care system and compare that to the number of accuzations issued by foster children against their foster families.
For all those who open their hearts and homes I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you realize that you are making a difference in the life of a child who is just desperately seeking a normal childhood and maybe a glimpse of what its like to have a family. I thought this story was beautiful and wish that would have been focused on instead of slandering foster children. I applaud Rodney Atkins for his dedication to those children who are still seeking their forever families.