Who is the typical child in our care?

People sometimes ask us to describe the “typical child” in the care of Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children.  Such is a fair and honest question.  We may think that children living in out of home care fall into a single category.  The origin of many organizations such as KBHC was the orphanage.  Orphans represented a definite category of children.  They were and are, by definition, children whose parents are dead.  There are some orphans in the system today but most are not.

The broad terms, or categories, used to describe the children in care are “at-risk, abused, neglected, or dependent”.  They are most often not orphans in the literal sense, but may be described as “orphans of the living” meaning they may have one or both parents living but not providing for them as parents should.

The children in our care, of all ages, are considered at-risk.  Without some intervention in their lives, many of these children’s risks range from their own premature deaths to a life of incarceration.  At a minimum, they each run the risk of never enjoying a “normal” childhood, an education, a hopeful future, or some basic happiness as a child.

We often refer to these kids as abused and neglected.  I was asked once the difference in abuse and neglect.  I think of abuse as things done to a child that should never happen to them and neglect as those things kept from a child that they should have experienced.

Beatings, all kinds of physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological domination, exposure to illicit sexuality, drug and alcohol exposure from their own parents describe some of the abuse the children endure.

The neglect stems from adults usually too involved in their own addictions or other self-centered activities to provide basic care for their children.  Children left to feed, clothe, care and supervise themselves are frequent residents of the child welfare system.  Young people and children of all ages who do not know the appropriate touching of a loving parent, the emotional, psychological and spiritual support everyone needs to develop as a healthy person are neglected.  Kids who do not feel safe, secure and wanted at home know the pain of neglect.

Some children are dependent.  They are not abused or neglected but for a variety of reasons cannot live with their parents or other extended family members.  These children need a place to live and grow until something changes at home allowing them to return.

I am not sure there is a “typical” child in the child welfare system or our care at KBHC.  Each child is a unique person with his or her own personal history.  We can categorize them according to their personal histories or clinical diagnoses, but once you get to know them personally as individual children, none are really “typical.”

Comments

[Kathy Satow]

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the things KBHC is doing for these children.

At Newborn Lifeline Network we work with women (generally between 16-25) who are hiding their pregnancy and at risk of abandoning their baby or even killing it. Many of our callers like the children in your care do not have a safe support system and would have benefited from early intervention.

I know this kind of work can be an uphill battle, so again I thank you. The lives you touch will have an impact on our community’s future.