I did youth work with a family who fostered then adopted 4 half brothers from the same mother. She was a heroin addict. Every other year she'd have a baby, malnourished, underweight, in withdrawal, neglected taken away. 4 kids: 2 had adhd, 1 was developmentally delayed, 1 autistic, 1 had ADD, plus all were smaller and weaker than their comparative age peers.
After taking the forth one, they were too over stretched to take anymore. Lovely kids. It was amazing watching them socialise gradually. So sad what happened to them really.
"I did youth work with a family who fostered then adopted 4 half brothers from the same mother. She was a heroin addict. Every other year she'd have a baby, malnourished, underweight, in withdrawal, neglected taken away."
That's truly tragic. You've been a blessing to those children, and that's beautiful.
Given the harshness of this reality, I understand why past generations looked to forced sterilization. There's really no winning with that, but after 4 kids (to date) with that fate, it's a legitimate moral debate (not an easy one, nor should it be) as to the relative good. I guess it's a sibling to the abortion debate.
I'm a brit, around the same time a US based charity set up here that paid drug using women to get (temporary but long term) Birth Control. I thought it was a good idea but it was (is) very controversial. They started after a similar experience.
The kids I worked with were so lucky to get a nice loving family, a very strong community to support them, lots of opportunities for socialisation and education etc.
God knows what happens if you're not that lucky.
Edit: I have to be honest, I enjoyed the work. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. :) the kids had their moments but mostly they were really excited to do anything and getting male attention was a big draw for them (one they got over the fear of men they all arrived with).
After taking the forth one, they were too over stretched to take anymore. Lovely kids. It was amazing watching them socialise gradually. So sad what happened to them really.