Orphanages as an answer are not good, IMO, as older children tend to recapitulate their abusive parental behavior on younger kids.
That's a good point. And I mean, by "orphanages," also such institutions as the group homes you mention, which have a better adult-child ratio than larger institutions and can be more 'open' (transparent) than foster homes.
A good foster family is best, of course. At least imo. But children are so often moved from one family to another, moved over and over again. And many kind, sensitive people simply won't be foster parents because they fear coming to love the child and having no rights, having their hearts broken by a drunken, exploitative parent showing up on their doorstep one day and dragging the child by the hand to the bus stop. Just a days after the frightened, non-verbal five year old whom they had taken in months before had begun to to speak his first words.
That is of course a true story. I've talked on SI about my shall we say "educational" experiences working at the St. Agatha Home for ("dependent and neglected") Children. It wasn't by any means a perfect place, but compared to the homes most of the children came from, it was heaven itself. |
