Rob Henderson, a doctoral candidate in social psychology at Cambridge, reflects on his childhood in foster care, how he narrowly escaped a broken system, and the only hope for disenfranchised kids across America: family.
A damning account of how children are being let down and a plea for us to do better ... His views may be unfashionable, but his perspective is an important one, shared with fierce intelligence and clarity.
Mr. Henderson recounts his own fractious upbringing within California’s foster-care system. He describes its dual logic ... [It shows] those who feel trapped by their past that they, too, can overcome.
While Troubled convinces readers that those in power don’t understand the reality of the masses, it falls short by omitting discussions of policy ... Readers interested in reforming the foster-care system or creating a better country for children will walk away from Troubled frustrated and disappointed ... Understanding why things happen is the minimal requirement for change, and yet Henderson is so invested in his outsider status that he alienates those who might want to see and learn from his perspective.
