Understanding Foster Care and Adoption

The speaker shares their experiences growing up in foster care, highlighting the challenges faced by fostered, adopted, and orphaned children. They discuss the historical context of adoption practices in the 1960s, their personal journey through various foster homes, and the impact of these experiences on their identity. The speaker emphasizes the need for respect rather than pity for children in care and reflects on the importance of family and identity in shaping one's life. They conclude by linking the treatment of children by the state to the strength of a democracy.

Which of the following characters is NOT mentioned as being fostered, adopted, or orphaned?

• Cinderella

• Luke Skywalker

• Harry Potter

• Sherlock Holmes

What was the primary aim of social workers in the 1960s regarding single pregnant women?

• To help them find employment

• To provide them with education

• To reunite them with their families

• To have them sign adoption papers

What name was given to the speaker by their foster parents?

• Paul

• John

• Mark

• Norman

What did the speaker do that led to their incarceration in an assessment center?

• Refused to attend school

• Stole from a store

• Painted the colors of Africa on the tiles

• Ran away from home

What did the speaker realize about their connections with people?

• They had a large extended family

• They were well-known in their community

• They knew nobody for longer than a year

• They had many lifelong friends

What were the two things the speaker wanted to do after leaving the children's home?

• Find their family and write poetry

• Travel the world and write a book

• Become a lawyer and help others

• Start a business and become famous

According to the speaker, what defines the strength of a democracy?

• How the government treats its child

• The wealth of its citizens

• The number of laws it enacts

• The power of its military