As the New Year approaches, one of the greatest problems we have in the United States is the prevalence and use of opioids. Psychiatrists and social workers tell me they don't have the money or resources to take care of the patients. Instead of this major problem being addressed by Trump and his cabinet members, the focus is on building his wall and raising money for the 2020 election. Even with several doctors in Congress, there seems to be much more concern about giving the wealthy, huge tax breaks, as they just did.
An article in today's New York Times by Sherry Lachman describes the terrible damage being done to children by this drug crisis. She states that because their parents are hooked on drugs, the children are being placed in foster care. Without adequate or good foster homes, many children are being put in "prisonlike institutions where they languish for months." Many go from foster home to foster home which is called foster home "drift". How can any child grown up without terrible scars and pain from this kind of treatment. There are some wonderful foster parents, but some who take children just to get the money The kids are treated, often like slaves or animals. I have seen this happen and have fought to get children out of these kinds of homes. It is noted in the article that there are 100,000 children available for adoption. How wonderful it would be if they could be placed with loving parents.