Care for Disabled Children

The case of Jesus Castro is a tragic one indeed and points out the shameful overall neglect of children in general and developmentally disabled children in particular. The blame rests on the shoulders of our neo-laissez faire legislators.

Reaganomics asked us to turn away from government for social services and turn to the private sector with its spirit of “new volunteerism” to solve society’s ills. Precious little help has been forthcoming in the past disastrous 10 years. As part of a struggle to establish a nonprofit group home for six developmentally disabled children in Thousand Oaks, I have found out firsthand that government assistance is almost nonexistent and the lovely people who do support our causes are few. Group homes are the humane solution for severely disabled children but where can these voiceless ones turn?

CARRIE STONE

Thousand Oaks