Letter To The Editor....

Every year 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving nearly 6 million children (a report can include multiple children). Children are abused - physically attacked, emotionally damaged, sexually molested, or severely neglected - often by the people they have loved and trusted most. (2)

Many of these children become a part of the foster care system. In the system they will bounce from foster homes, group homes, institutional settings, attempted reunification in their parent's homes and homes of extended family members for any number of their childhood years. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Child and Family Welfare, there are over 400,000 children in the foster care system in the United States today. (1) According to the Kansas Department for Children and Families, the average number of children living in Out of Home placements thus far in FY 2013 is 5,478. (9)

In addition to the trauma that a young child experiences due to abuse or neglect, several foster care alumni studies show that without a lifelong connection to a caring adult, youth who spend a significant amount of time in foster care are left vulnerable to a host of adverse situations including dropping out of high-school, becoming a young parent, experiencing homeless, having no health insurance and receiving public assistance. (4) Fourteen percent of all men in prison in the United States were abused as children and 36% of all women in prison were abused as children. (7) Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crimes. (8) Perhaps most tragically, about 30% of abused and neglected children will later abuse their own children, continuing the horrible cycle of abuse. (7)

Royal Family KIDS is working to break the cycle of abuse in America. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is the nation’s leading network of camps for abused, neglected and abandoned children. By mobilizing local churches to sponsor a one-week camp for abused and neglected children ages 7-11 in their local community, RFKC gets caring adults involved in the lives of children who need them most. Each camp has two very simple goals: make positive childhood memories for the kids and let them experience unconditional love from an adult. Many volunteers who go to camp are inspired to become mentors, become foster parents and even adopt children who need a loving, caring family.

Right now, we have a unique opportunity in Topeka to assist in changing the life on foster children in our area. Roebuck Media’s ‘CAMP’ opened on April 5, 2013 at the Hollywood 14 theatres. “CAMP” is a Fish-out-of-water story about investment advisor Ken Matthews (Michael Mattera), who volunteers to go to camp to impress a client, but finds himself paired with an angry, troubled 10 year-old camper named Eli (Miles Elliot, “The Mentalist”).

“The movie shares the story of hope on the big screen that camps provide to these forgotten children,” said writer/director Jacob Roebuck, who thought of the idea for the script when volunteering at a Royal Family Kids camp. (10) Founded by Orange County natives Wayne and Diane Tesch over 25 years ago, Royal Family Kids is now a network of over 150 churches across the country that provides camps, clubs and mentorship programs for abused and neglected kids. (10)

So what can you do? Go see ‘CAMP’ the creators and producer have committed that 40% of the profits from the showing here in Topeka will go to assist the locally run Topeka Royal Family KIDS camp. Keep in mind that this week-long camp costs the state, foster parents or children nothing to attend. This movie was just extended for another week run and starting Friday, April 12th the show times are daily at 1:25p and 6:40p.


TOPEKA FOSTER MOM

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1. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Available online at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/foster.cfm

2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau. (2011). Child Maltreatment 2010. Available from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can.

3. Child Help http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics

4. Foster Care Alumni of America
http://www.fostercarealumni.org/resources/foster_care_facts_and_statistics.htm

5. Reilly, T. (00). Transition from care: Status and outcomes of youth who age out of foster care. Child Welfare, 82(6), 77-76.

6. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/child_abuse_the_hidden_bruises

7. Harlow, C. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. (1999).Prior abuse reported by inmates and probationers (NCJ 172879) Retrieved from http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/parip.pdf

8. Long - Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Welfare Information Gateway.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2006.

9. Kansas Department for Chhildren and Famlies. (3/15/13) FY 2013 Romovals, Discharges and Out of Home Summary (FACTS) http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/PPS/Documents/FY2013DataReports/FACTSRemovalsDischargesOOHSFY13.pdf

10.  Burbank Premiere Release.  www.thecampmovie.com