Slipping Between The Cracks

Daniel Roth of the Miami Herald recently posted an article talking about how a society is measured by how it treats the children, and a child who fell between the cracks.  This child was starving to the point that his bones stood prominently from beneath his skin.  He had a black eye, and had been reunited with abusive parents.  As Mr. Roth points out, he had been supervised by state employees.  He was supposed to be watched and monitored.  Instead, he nearly starved to death on their watch.

The state of Florida's Department of Children and Families has previously been accused of "fatal ineptitude" when it comes to child welfare.  This is not the first time a child's pain has been overlooked, and while this 9-year-old boy didn't die, it sure doesn't feel like much of an improvement.  That is, however, exactly what it is.  When children weren't safe, the system was supposedly fine tuned to prevent that from happening again.

Kids deserve better than this.  This is blatant abuse and neglect.  Wake up and give a shit, people.  Black eyes and skin stretched over bone isn't something you can hide with a sweater or explain away.