Foster care system is failing: Children in the U.S. deserve more

I had a friend in high school that experienced that negative effects of the foster care system firsthand. Her father was an abusive alcoholic, when he was actually around. Her mother was unemployed, addicted to drugs, and would disappear for extended periods of time. At age 11, my friend was the primary caretaker of herself and her three younger siblings. Her family could never make rent payments on time and there was never enough food in the house to feed the mouths of each child.