I'm really glad that Mary Callahan wrote this book. She tells how she became a foster mother because she wanted to help abused children. As she got to know the foster children in her care, she found out that most of them did not come from abusive homes, and did not need to be in the system at all. They missed their natural parents, and were frustrated that the system would not even allow them regular visits with their parents. The book showed how the Child Protective Services did not really care about the well-being of the children. Many of the children had been abused in previous foster homes, and yet the abuse had been ignored.
Mary discovered that one of her foster children, Tina, a "funny looking girl" with a short fat neck had a genetic condition which was contribuing to her behavioral problems, but this condition had been overlooked by the system. When Mary described it to Tina's social workers they dismissed her concerns. Two of the boys in her care developed Munchausens symdrome to get attention, one by deliberately ingesting lead. In these situations also, the social workers and case workers would not do anything to help her cure the boys of this behavior. Ultimately, it was probably because she "made waves" in the system that the authorities falsely accused her of abusing Maria, another one of her foster children, to try to threaten her.
She came to the conclusion that the system is severely flawed and corrupted. A touching moment in the book was when the hijacking of 9/11 ocurred, and she thought that the most important thing was for the children to have contact with their parents to assure each other that they were alive and safe.
The book is a good expose of the corruption within CPS, and why the system needs to be seriously overhauled.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2010
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2007
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2011
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2006
Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2006
