Comments on: San Francisco Chronicle Article Rob Waters http://www.invisiblechildren.org/2006/02/26/san-francisco-chronicle-article-rob-waters/ Kids at Risk Action (KARA) - Children's Rights Advocacy Network Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:58:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Tommy http://www.invisiblechildren.org/2006/02/26/san-francisco-chronicle-article-rob-waters/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Tommy Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:36:00 +0000 http://www.invisiblechildren.org/2006/02/26/san-francisco-chronicle-article-rob-waters/#comment-79 I read, with great interest and empathy, this article on the plight of these foster children. As a resident of Maryland, USA, I am aware that our foster care system suffers from the pandemic ills of all the rest. Sadly, however, it's also a fact of life that foster care shortcomings are not localized to the States. Cross-culturally, disenfranchised children are sadly undervalued.<br /><br />In June 2004, I founded HopeScope Family Online and its attendant forums (http://www.hopescopefamilyonline.com), principally as an attempt to reach kids of varying ages who might benefit from informal e-mentoring and its related support mechanisms. It wasn't long before we'd assembled a little cadre of skillful, loving adults who are willing to share their time and experience; but more than that, I found that the as yet small number of kids who seek a gentle shoulder at HopeScope are multinational. The developmental, emotional, social, and other challenges that kids face don't recognize national, political, or other borders.<br /><br />As yet, my e-mentoring experience has led to experience with only one foster child in a European country, but after much ado, we're hopeful that our youngster is finally getting much needed assistance. But my experience with this child has made me painfully aware that there are plenty of web-based resources for foster parents and other such carers... but none - that I can find - for foster children. Our foster youngster discovered us only by accident, but I have to believe that there is a place for quality - even if informal - e-mentoring resources for foster kids, as well as the general youth population. Even the social structures whose charge it is to look after these children are sorry advocates; we need to create more easily accessible tools with which we can broker useful discourse between these kids and their charges. We need to represent these kids when even their appointed guardians fail them. The internet can be a powerful tool with which to do that.<br /><br />My experience with our foster child has caused me to have a special affinity for foster youth and other disenfranchised kids, regardless of how superficial their concerns might be. Our tiny international cadre of adults has enjoyed successes with kids, and other adults, who combat everything from self-ijury to eating disorders. Even if we can't help them ourselves, we can assist them in finding someone who can.<br /><br />My point is that I hope the web is recognized not only as a potentially dangerous and demonized place, but also as a burgeoning vehicle by which Hope and Love can be administered to suffering adults and children, perhaps especially foster youth. We at HopeScope are doing our admittedly small part to bring this concept to fruition, and we very much appreciate your awareness of, and efforts to, address this important problem in a tangible way. I read, with great interest and empathy, this article on the plight of these foster children. As a resident of Maryland, USA, I am aware that our foster care system suffers from the pandemic ills of all the rest. Sadly, however, it’s also a fact of life that foster care shortcomings are not localized to the States. Cross-culturally, disenfranchised children are sadly undervalued.

In June 2004, I founded HopeScope Family Online and its attendant forums (http://www.hopescopefamilyonline.com), principally as an attempt to reach kids of varying ages who might benefit from informal e-mentoring and its related support mechanisms. It wasn’t long before we’d assembled a little cadre of skillful, loving adults who are willing to share their time and experience; but more than that, I found that the as yet small number of kids who seek a gentle shoulder at HopeScope are multinational. The developmental, emotional, social, and other challenges that kids face don’t recognize national, political, or other borders.

As yet, my e-mentoring experience has led to experience with only one foster child in a European country, but after much ado, we’re hopeful that our youngster is finally getting much needed assistance. But my experience with this child has made me painfully aware that there are plenty of web-based resources for foster parents and other such carers… but none – that I can find – for foster children. Our foster youngster discovered us only by accident, but I have to believe that there is a place for quality – even if informal – e-mentoring resources for foster kids, as well as the general youth population. Even the social structures whose charge it is to look after these children are sorry advocates; we need to create more easily accessible tools with which we can broker useful discourse between these kids and their charges. We need to represent these kids when even their appointed guardians fail them. The internet can be a powerful tool with which to do that.

My experience with our foster child has caused me to have a special affinity for foster youth and other disenfranchised kids, regardless of how superficial their concerns might be. Our tiny international cadre of adults has enjoyed successes with kids, and other adults, who combat everything from self-ijury to eating disorders. Even if we can’t help them ourselves, we can assist them in finding someone who can.

My point is that I hope the web is recognized not only as a potentially dangerous and demonized place, but also as a burgeoning vehicle by which Hope and Love can be administered to suffering adults and children, perhaps especially foster youth. We at HopeScope are doing our admittedly small part to bring this concept to fruition, and we very much appreciate your awareness of, and efforts to, address this important problem in a tangible way.

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