In a Townhall op-ed co-written with Mike Watkins, Jack Brewer wrote that the foster care system is shrinking, which is bad news for children in need. But he offered solutions for making the system better.
Brewer is a former NFL player, former White House appointee on the U.S. Commission for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute, chairman of the Jack Brewer Foundation, and a board member at the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.
The National Council for Adoption just released a report that revealed the state of foster care in the U.S.
“Adoptions from foster care have plunged to a two-decade low, with more than 15,000 teenagers aging out of the system with no permanent family ties, thrust into society alone and unprepared,” Brewer wrote. “The system is shrinking, but not succeeding in caring for our children.”
We need a new model of care, Brewer added. Our greatest chance is one that is rooted in faith, community, and an enduring human connection — not government bureaucracy.
“What had once been a shared moral obligation of well-being carried out by faith communities, kinship networks, extended families, neighborhoods, and local caregiving networks was dismissed in favor of bureaucracy,” Brewer wrote. “The effect of this shift on children was powerful. Attendance replaced belonging. Service referrals replaced guidance. Case management checklists replaced care.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month called Fostering the Future for American Children and Families, to strengthen the foster care system. Brewer wrote that this executive action reaffirms that children heal through families and engaged communities.
Brewer suggested several approaches that could help children in need. For example, embracing what he calls a “Faith in Families” approach, which, among other things, is to limit the government’s role to oversight, safety, assurance, and emergency response. No direct caregiving by the government.
We also must strengthen families early, Brewer added, especially single parents “through shared parenting, mentoring, and practical support.”
Brewer opposed Black Lives Matter, which he said seeks to destroy the traditional family, promote broken families, and teach children to go against what we “as Americans hold so true.”
Read the full op-ed here.
