Scars That Can Heal by David Louis

My brother-in-law wrote this book. The little boy on the cover is my gorgeous nephew!! This book is excellent for everyone to read. It gives insight to children and adults that grew up in foster care. This book also teaches people not to be so judgemental towards others, especially children and teens that are screaming inside for love and affection! Its a true story......it can't get more real than this..... I learned enormously from this book.....everyone else will too........

Here's a description:

Time and time again the media—through movies, television, books, and music—weaves an accounting of a child being orphaned. It is one of society’s greatest fears: to be abandoned and face the world with only the tiny voice of a child. Surely the task would be daunting in itself. But add child abuse, constant placement change, and apathy to the plight of the young orphan, and the scenario seems like more than anyone would ever be able to endure. David wrote Scars That Can Heal to let people know that the media’s take on an orphan’s plight pales in comparison to the reality of living it. He also needs everyone to understand that these are real problems that are happening every day—even where you live. Today, there are some 600,000 children in America’s foster care system. Sometimes the children get adopted, but far too often, most endure years of placement changes until they “age out”—which means that the State is no longer legally bound to them and they are released to the world, to do the best they can. Every year about 25,000 children age out of foster care in America. David is one such child that endured and aged out. Social service employees who noted that he and his younger brother had been beaten, burned, and given illegal narcotics, took him from his teenage mother when he was an infant. David bounced around 13 foster homes with his younger brother until they were separated when he was 6. Completely alone now, David’s journey took him through 17 more placements where he survived trials of abuse, neglect, depression, and rage. Set in the 1990’s, David’s anger and need for camaraderie led him to be involved in the violent street gangs and the juvenile justice system of Southern California. Nearing the end of the tornado of events and placements, David found himself close to aging out of the system with no skills and so few high school credits that he was still classified a freshman. Then something changed. David resolved to no longer be a victim—responding to his environment and acting out because of his past—and found the inner strength to make responsible day-to-day choices for his future. With this new determination and a positive placement at one of the country’s largest behavioral treatment facilities, David worked very hard to graduate high school and went on to college with several scholarships. Now, 10 years after aging out, David has written a memoir with a purpose. With a decade of counseling and child welfare advocacy insight, he conveys how an orphan learns to love himself, relays the priority of child abuse solutions, and offers specific tools for those seeking involvement in the System. David likes to spend his time speaking to any group of children, providers of care, or students seeking social service degrees. Parts of Scars That Can Heal are used to train foster parents, social workers and placement staff.

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