為寄養(yǎng)兒童而戰(zhàn)

Andrew Bridge is on a mission: To fix the foster care system that he barely survived.

安德魯#8226;布雷治身負(fù)一項(xiàng)使命: 建立健全寄養(yǎng)兒童保護(hù)機(jī)制。

First-Hand Experience

親身經(jīng)歷

\"My name is Andrew Bridge. I'm a lawyer - your lawyer，\" I said to the pale， thin boy in front of me， who looked about 13 years old.

“我叫安德魯#8226;布里吉，是你的律師。” 我對(duì)面前這個(gè)面色蒼白，體格瘦弱，看起來(lái)大概13歲左右的小男孩說(shuō)。

He lived at the Eufaula Adolescent Center in Eufaula， Alabama， which I was visiting in the mid-1990s as part of the discovery process in a class action lawsuit against the facility. His parents had committed him to the care of the state， but for several days， the boy had been down in the basement， in isolation. I'd been startled to find him sleeping on a bare mattress， cold and alone. In a review of therapy and progress notes， our clinical expert concluded that nearly 30 percent of the children were disciplined in this way， banished to the basement at some point during their stay.

他住在位于阿拉巴馬州的幼發(fā)拉青少年中心(20世紀(jì)90年代中期我曾到此，作為抗議收容所的集體訴訟的一員搜集證據(jù))。他是由父母送至此處的。然而有很多天， 他都被隔離在地下室里。當(dāng)我看見(jiàn)他獨(dú)自睡在一張光禿禿的墊子上凍得瑟瑟發(fā)抖時(shí)，心里倏地一驚。根據(jù)專家對(duì)這些孩子的照管進(jìn)程記錄分析總結(jié)，他們當(dāng)中30%的人受管教的方式就是被關(guān)地下室。

It had become my life's work to improve this child's circumstances-and that of many other kids like him. I， too， had lived under the care of the state. I remembered the loneliness， the fear， the deprivation. I thought of how I'd meet a lawyer or social worker for the first time. So， tell me about yourself… I hear you're good at school… Your foster parents and I are proud of you… I'll call you. I wanted these children to be treated more thoughtfully. I wanted their physical and emotional well-being to be of paramount importance to the adults charged with their care.

改善這個(gè)孩子以及其他很多像他這樣孩子的處境，早已成為我畢生的事業(yè)。因?yàn)槲易约阂苍谑杖菟钸^(guò)，那些孤獨(dú)、恐懼、屈辱我不會(huì)忘記。我想起了第一次與一位律師或者社會(huì)工作者見(jiàn)面的場(chǎng)景：來(lái)，跟我說(shuō)說(shuō)你自己吧……我聽(tīng)說(shuō)你在學(xué)校品學(xué)兼優(yōu)，你的養(yǎng)父母很為你驕傲……我會(huì)打電話給你。我希望人們以正確的方式對(duì)待這些孩子，希望負(fù)責(zé)照管他們的成年人能越來(lái)越多地關(guān)注他們的身心健康。

\"Why did the staff put you down here?\" I asked the boy.

“他們?yōu)槭裁窗涯惴旁谶@里呢？”我問(wèn)男孩。

\"I wouldn't get out of bed before school，\" he replied.

“我不肯起床去學(xué)校。” 他答道。

Had his parents visited him? They hadn't， though his father had called. \"And your mom? What about her?\"

他的父母來(lái)探望過(guò)他嗎？沒(méi)有——雖然他的父親打過(guò)電話。“那你媽媽呢？她的想法呢？”

\"She won't tell me， but I know she wants me back.\"

“她不說(shuō)，但我知道她想讓我回去。”

Serious family troubles had landed him here， but his living conditions seemed cruel and unusual-hence the lawsuit and my work on his behalf. Veering off the usual lawyerly script， I asked， \"Is there anything you want? Is there anything you need me to do?\"

一系列嚴(yán)重的家庭問(wèn)題使他只能來(lái)這，但其生活境況很悲慘，也就有了訴訟，由我負(fù)責(zé)維護(hù)他的權(quán)益。看完這份普通的文件，我問(wèn)他:“你有什么想要的”，“你想要我為你做些什么？