To be completely honest, I didn't know where to start my essay. It wasn't that I didn't have any topics shining out in bold saying, "Pick me! Pick me!" It was the fact that there were too many. When I ask myself, "Who am I?" my answers fall within many of the stereotypical types of people. Am I the artist? The musician? The athlete? The geek? In a sense, I'm all and none of these things. So, I was beyond perplexed when making such a big decision, as this is the one place I get to show you who I really am.
6th grade, on a whim, I timidly climbed up on stage and sang in front of people for the first time ever at the talent show auditions-that's who I am. Joining a football training camp as the only girl out of roughly 75 high school athletes while I was an 8th grader-that's who I am. The weeks, the days, the hours I spent putting my all into tennis-that's who I am. Joining the math team at school and standing in that yearbook photo each year loud and proud, no matter how embarrassing people might find that to be-that's who I am. Working three jobs, at least one each day this summer to help contribute to the family-that's who I am. Never going a day without making some form of art-that's who I am. Participating in not only the Community Service Club, but in as many events as I possibly could squeeze into my daily life, including a service trip to Mexico that I saved up for by myself-that's who I am. Joining a club rugby team this summer to try something new-that's who I am. There are so many aspects of myself that to characterize them all under any word or phrase besides "Addison Irene Loverin," would be impossible.
There are also parts of my life I have had no control over. My Papa's death a few years ago, my parent's divorce which took six years to finalize, finding out my dog had cancer and having to put him down only a week later, becoming one of the many victims of sexual assault that get shoved behind the curtain, along with all of the little things that at the time felt like the end of the world-they all made me who I am in this very moment. They all hurt at one time or another and a lot of them still do, but I am happy with how they taught me a very valuable lesson that some never get the opportunity to learn-life isn't black and white. It isn't all glamour and smiles, but there truly is a better perspective to look at anything that happens in life. With every end comes a beginning. With every heart-wrenching obstacle you have to tackle, there is something worth smiling about. My Papa isn't in pain anymore. My parents got a do-over with new people and a new life without losing the family they already had-me and both my younger brothers. My dog is happier than ever and pain-free. The things I've thought I've lost, all brought something I gained. I am braver, stronger, wiser, more caring, and more aware of opposing perspectives.
Am I perfect? Most definitely not. I am happy to be who I am-the artist, the musician, the athlete, the geek and every layer in between. I am happy with my maturity and I am happy with the goofy, weird side that only those who take a chance in getting to know me will ever see. I am confident even in my insecurities because they make me human. I don't want to hide the real, raw version of myself whether it be from the high school scenery or you. I'm Addison Irene Loverin. That's who I am.
The Foster Care System, I believe, is both a blessing and a curse that is overlooked by many. It most definitely is beneficial, as it has helped the lives of many young children. For those growing up in unsafe, unstable homes, and those who have lost their parents, it can simply be a wonderful system. Though, when you look a little deeper, there are unfortunately many aspects of corruption.
Though the payment received for taking these children affords more families the initiative to take on the responsibility of raising a child from the system, it can have a negative side as well. Some only participate for the money. The children placed in those homes can, once again, end up in unstable homes with no say in where they go. This creates a debate between whether background checks should become more vigorous or more lenient. Those who abuse the system for the sole purpose of money are reasoning for deeper, longer processes. Those who have genuine motives-to provide these children with a better home life or an opportunity to otherwise have children of their own-create reasons to make this process quicker and easier for families. An extended process could result in less people wanting to go through the trouble, but the question is whether this would create the opportunity for children to be put in a better home? Or would this more significantly hurt the number of children placed in homes?
Another fantastic outcome of the foster care system is the frequency of adoptions that result from it. Many families become attached to their foster children, as do the children to the family. In numerous cases, they end up adopting the children, giving them a permanent home. Alternatively, the attachment the children feel can be emotionally straining if the family chooses not to adopt them or they are later separated. Some children find multiple places that feel like home that they are then moved away from during their formative years. The fact that many children are forced to switch families fairly frequently-which in other words, means switching towns and schools, forcing them to start all over again-needs to be addressed. Damage to their relationships with friends and academics are common. An overlooked downfall to the system is that if they fail to be adopted by 18 years old-depending on their experience in the foster care system-it could lead to so many unsettling futures. A more stringent screening process could alleviate this. Children often find themselves falling into poverty or substance abuse-if it wasn't already a problem before leaving the system.
This is a very complicated topic to decipher. I still believe the best opportunity for these children would be for them to be placed with more genuine families that want the child, not the money that comes with them. The payment is reasonable so that the family can afford to provide for the child, but in my opinion it would be wiser to have more detailed evaluations of the families our society places innocent children with. Allowing us to also chose families with more compatibility to specific children would hopefully result in longer term fostering and even more adoptions. It may also enable us to place some children in districts of better schooling opportunities.
In closing, I think it's important to expand and enhance programs for these children as they reach 18 so they have more opportunities to do something great with their lives. It is not their fault they weren't given the same opportunity to have the childhood many take for granted. I strongly believe awareness of this pressing issue should be vocalized more. When doing research on this topic, I truly found it difficult to find anything substantial. My hope is to build awareness and reduce this troubling issue, securing solutions in the future.