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Child "Protection" Reform is desperately needed in this country, as well as in many others. Even those who embrace government intrusion and expect the government to micromanage families will tell you, "The system is broken."

You can pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV and see for yourself, or go a step further and do some research online.

Children die in foster care. Children are literally "lost" by the system. This is the very system that has judged parents unfit and is paid to step in and become the guardian of these children.

Look up Faheem Williams, Terrell Peterson, Logan Marr, and Dominic James, to name just a few. Learn more about how children are "protected to death," often when they shouldn't have been removed from home in the first place, as is the case with the last two children. Look up Rilya Wilson. Florida's protection system "lost" her, years ago and she still hasn't been found.

Other states were then shown to have lost hundreds of children as well, but these kinds of things are quickly swept under the rug. Bill O'Reilly of Fox News brings up little Rilya's case each year, despite the fact that few seem to care. Don't take anyone's word for these things. Do the research yourself so you'll know the truth.

The system is indeed broken and needs comprehensive reform. In fact, it needs to be torn down and rebuilt from scratch. No amount of re-naming or re-structuring these agencies has thus far made children safer. Throwing more money at the problem isn't fixing it.

Getting the protection system in line with the Constitution would be a good start. As it stands right now, it is based on "administrative" law, which sidesteps the Constitutional protections demanded in the criminal justice system. It is far too easy to paint a parent as abusive and take a child away without hard evidence.

Why would this occur? There is money involved. Infants and small children can be adopted out. Federal funding flows into each state, depending upon how many children are in the system and using services. It's not likely to change soon.

Parents need to understand what rights they have and learn how to exercise those rights. Learn to protect your children's rights as well and teach them how to protect themselves.

Contact your lawmakers. Help control undue and dangerous government intrusion. Help build a comprehensive system that truly protects those children who need it without putting others at risk and without micromanaging innocent families.

Learn more about this author, S. Mills.
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