Foster Care

In response to “County Accused of Letting Foster Children Suffer Abuse” (March 8), “County Strikes Back on Foster Care Charges” (March 9) and “Anybody Care About These Kids?” editorial, March 12:

The “isolated incidents” of abuse that have been exposed in the Los Angeles County foster care system are indicators of a seriously ill and fatigued system with the children being the greatest sufferers. The incidents indicate the obvious deficiencies of a system supposedly dedicated to being an advocate for the child placed in its care. While one can’t help but be astonished by these problems, they should also serve to motivate us to demand a thorough investigation that looks beyond specific incidents and leads to a major overhaul.

My concerns come from being the parent of a child adopted from this system. We are only beginning to unravel through therapy the many mysteries inside this child who lived in foster care for the first 4 1/2 years of life. The risk I take in speaking out is measured against an anger at a system that not only helped to create my child’s problems, but served to perpetuate them.

KATHY M. MALLON

San Dimas