What Have We Done?

by | Jun 25, 2022 | Education, Opinions

What Have We Done?

Yesterday was a big day for emotions. Many people happy and many people afraid or angry about the Supreme Court’s decision to revoke Roe v Wade. I consider myself a concerned citizen for people who live in states that do not leave room for humanity in a legal aspect but what got me thinking was a poll someone put up in a group I didn’t add myself to. I don’t even remember the question because it was so ignorant and one sided and I surely didn’t respond to it…but it did get me thinking. This is not a yes or no question. It is lots of aspects question, so many that one article wouldn’t be enough. But I am going to share a few questions I started thinking about because of that question, that I can’t remember besides What Have We Done?…

When people don’t have the right to make the medical decisions that they feel they need to make, for their personal reasons and a child is born that they don’t want what happens? They are stuck with a child they don’t want. Now the beautiful thing about God is that most of the time the hormones He created to be running through a mother’s veins during the birthing process cause them to fall in love with their baby and the rest is a story of hard word and love but sometimes it isn’t.

How many children are in Foster Care in the United States?

According to the Children’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) there were 407,000 children in foster care in The United State of America at the end of 2020. 117,000 of those children were waiting to be adopted as their parents had lost all legal rights to their children. These numbers were down from the previous year, with no clear reason, but still large.

In more recent numbers, according to iFoster, a nonprofit that helps assist in making sure that foster children have what they need to thrive while growing up in foster care, there are approximately 424,00 children in foster care nationwide. The number of children in foster care changes constantly and there are no two months or years that are the same.

The median age of children in foster care is 6 1/2 years old which has a huge impact on their cognitive and emotional development. Each year 20,000 young people age out of a system that is hugely underfunded. They often have not finished high school and have no chance at going to college. Within 4 years of aging out of the system, and no support system these young people often end up on government assistance or homeless.

How many children are being abused in the United States?

Before we can answer this questions we have to address what abuse is. There are 4 main types of abuse and neglect:

  • Physical Abuse: intentional physical force that results in an injury like hitting, kicking, shaking or burning.
  • Sexual Abuse: Pressuring or forcing a child to engage in sexual acts like fondling, penetration and exposing a child to other sexual activities.
  • Emotional Abuse: Behaviors that harm a child’s self-worth or emotional wellness like name-calling, shaming, rejecting, withholding love and threatening.
  • Neglect: Failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs like housing, food, clothes, education, access to medical care, validation of feelings and being appropriately responded to.

At least 1 in 7 children have experienced abuse or neglect in the last year in the United States. Since most cases are not reported, this number is probably larger.

In 2020 there were 618,399 reported cases of child abuse and neglect in the US.

In 2019 there were 4.4 million referrals involving alleged maltreatment of children to CPS agencies.

2/3 of all reports of alleged child abuse cases are by educational personnel, law enforcement and legal personnel, medical staff, social services, foster parents and daycare providers. Most other reports of child abuse come from friends, neighbors, relatives and anonymous reporters.

Children that have experienced abuse may have the immediate cuts, bruises and broken bones but they may also have emotional, psychological and cognitive difficulties throughout their life as well. As adults they may experience being a victim or perpetrator, substance abuse, STIs and difficulties finding employment.

In 2019, 29 states reported 877 unique cases of sex trafficking. Of these children, 88.5% were girls and 76.2% of all children were aged 14-17, some of these children were infants.

The top ten states for human trafficking are:

  1. Nevada
  2. Mississippi
  3. Florida
  4. Ohio
  5. Georgia
  6. Delaware
  7. California
  8. Missouri
  9. Michigan
  10. Texas

In 2019 38,625 infants in 47 states were referred to CPS as infants with prenatal substance exposure.

How many children are murdered each year in the United States?

In 2020, 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States of America.

In 2019, 1,840 children died due to abuse and neglect.

We Must Do Better

So unwanted children have it pretty hard. I have heard the same people who say abortion is evil complain about people on government assistance when the two are partners for a reason. Unwanted children grow up and tend to be adults that are unable to support themselves and have chronic conditions we as a society must continue to support, and the cycle continues.

The next thing I was concerned about is that clinics that offer abortions probably offer other services that are very important. in more rural areas, I am sure that these clinics are a God-send. But as funding is cut off to many clinics they will be closed down, making it harder for people to get the medical help they need.

What services are offered at abortion clinics?

Besides abortion services the following services may be offered at clinics:

  • Birth Control
  • General Health Care
    • Annual Exams (Pelvic and Breast)
    • Pap Smears
    • Screenings and Treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
    • Cancer Screenings: Breast, Cervical and Prostate
    • Screening & Referrals for Obesity, Diabetes and Dyslipidemia
    • Screening & Referrals for Mental Health Issues and Addictions
  • HIV services
  • Patient education
  • Pregnancy testing & services
  • STD testing, treatment & vaccines
  • Transgender Services
    • Hormone Therapy
    • Surgical Referrals for Gender Reassignment
    • Post-surgical Follow Up
    • Clerical Services

Where Do We Go From Here?

I know I could have gone deeper with my research. I know there is more information to know and to share. I just couldn’t keep going. These things make me sad and angry. I feel lucky that in Washington state we don’t have to worry about these things but I feel bad for people in states that aren’t honest about humanity. Texas is against abortion but they are the state with the highest rate of child abuse too. Over half of the states that are highest for sex trafficking also have laws against women’s rights to make medical decisions about their bodies.

In the end of all my reading I was most surprised by one thing…can you guess who the largest perpetrator of child abuse is? It is white mothers. The stats show that twice as many reported cases of child abuse are of white parents over black parents. Yet the media often portrays the bad guy with a black face. But that is a different blog…

I am going to keep praying. I hope you will too.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.

Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:

Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.

I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.

I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.

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