Family Is Our Nation’s Best Investment
Family Is Our Nation’s Best Investment
When I look back at my childhood, I remember a time when my siblings and I were inseparable. We laughed together, shared our dreams, and held onto each other through every challenge life threw our way. We were more than just family; we were each other’s safety net. But that all changed when our family faced a crisis, and instead of getting the help we desperately needed, we were separated by the very system meant to protect us.
We were placed into the child protection system, and the journey that followed left a deep and lasting mark on each of us. Our story isn’t just one of heartache; it’s a story of missed opportunities — moments when the system could have chosen to invest in our family and help us stay together. Instead, we were pulled apart, treated like cases to be managed rather than a family in need of support.
The first stage of our separation started with a glimmer of hope: being placed with a relative. On the surface, it seemed like a good decision. But quickly, it turned into a nightmare. This relative had struggled with substance misuse for years and was known for abusive behavior. We were placed in an unsafe environment with no resources to help us heal or recover. This was a pivotal moment where the right investment in support services could have changed everything. We needed someone to step in and offer concrete resources, like evidence-based home visiting programs, which could have provided stability for our relative and kept us connected as siblings .
The second chapter of our story was another missed opportunity for investment. Instead of giving our parents a voice in where we should go next, the system deferred to a will left by our first caretaker. This outdated decision overlooked our needs and emotional well-being. We were placed in yet another overcrowded home, this time with a relative battling severe, undiagnosed mental health issues. Once again, the system had a chance to intervene with meaningful support — such as access to mental health services or family resource centers — but it chose not to. We were left to fend for ourselves in a home where we felt more like burdens than beloved children.
The final stage was perhaps the hardest to bear: complete separation. Each of us was sent to different foster homes, scattering the last sense of family we had left. I often wonder how our lives might have turned out if someone had seen our situation as a moment to invest in keeping us together instead of splitting us apart. If there had been a comprehensive, family-centered support system in place, I believe our story could have ended differently.
I think about what could have been if policymakers had seen the potential of investing in our family’s future. Instead of relying on reactive measures that tore us apart, what if the system had offered economic support, like the Child Tax Credit, to ease the financial strain on our family ? What if there had been proactive, evidence-based programs designed to strengthen families before a crisis escalated? These kinds of investments aren’t just compassionate; they’re smart. Consider this: to place us in foster care, the state invested between $20,000 and $40,000 per year per child. My siblings and I spent over eight years in the system. That’s nearly a million dollars of taxpayer money. Imagine if even a fraction of that had been invested upstream — in services that could have kept our family together, reduced the risk of abuse and neglect, and built a foundation for us to thrive.
Today, I use my story as a call to action. I’ve wiped away the tears of what we lost and turned that pain into a commitment to ensure every family gets the support they need, before they reach a crisis point. I believe, with all my heart, that family is our nation’s best investment. When we choose to invest in families, we are investing in our collective future — in children who will grow up with the love, stability, and support they need to become thriving members of our communities.
At Prevent Child Abuse America, we are tirelessly advocating for policies that make this vision a reality. From supporting home visiting programs like Healthy Families America to pushing for economic measures like paid family leave and the Child Tax Credit, we are dedicated to creating a comprehensive prevention ecosystem that lifts up families and keeps them whole .
Imagine a world where no child experiences the pain of separation, where families have the resources they need to weather life’s challenges, and where every child and family has the opportunity to dream big. This world is possible, but it requires us to act now. We must recognize that families are our greatest national asset and commit to investing in their health, stability, and well-being.
This isn’t just about policy; it’s about people. It’s about believing that every child and every family deserves the chance to stay together, to be supported, and to thrive. Together, we can build a future where family is truly valued as our nation’s best investment. Let’s make that choice today.
