Baby Boom

Many of you have already heard the story of the mother in California who recently gave birth to octuplets. I don't know about you, but I can't even begin to imagine how in the world that was possible! I have a tremendous amount of respect for this woman in that her physical strength alone has to be significantly above average in order to carry that many children at once.

However, as someone who works with children in abuse situations, I am greatly concerned about the future of these eight children. Apparently, this is not a case of "natural conception". This mother already has six children who live in a three bedroom home along with their grandparents. Mom reportedly has no job and is living off of her parents' resources. Several news sources have also reported that the single 33-year-old mother is attempting to make money by becoming a "parenting expert". Now I don't know about you, but I can't imagine that a person choosing to have 14 children (eight by invitro fertilization) without the help of a significant other or a reliable source of income could be considered an expert at parenting. And to top it all off, she has reportedly seeking a career in television (reality TV to be exact) in order to provide for her family.

I don't mean to sound judgmental toward this woman. But let's be clear, she has worked quite hard to bring eight additional children into the world when she is already having difficulty providing for the six that occupy her parent's home. (Sometimes people are victims of circumstance. Other times individuals create their own crises.)

Now the reality is that this family will not be investigated by social services unless a report is made to the appropriate authorities. This sounds quite simple. However, the reality is that children have very few rights in this country. And this mother would have to do something pretty bad before outside agencies will intervene. I have heard more than my fair share of horror stories concerning the treatment of children in my state and those same stories are happening in your state as well. 

The reason that I am bringing this up is not to depress you, but to remind the Christian community that we have a responsibility here. We must intentionally invest ourselves in the lives of those around us. Instead of making this family a "freak show" that we watch on reality TV, let's invest in their real lives. Aren't we more that voyeurs waiting for this young woman to fail her family and herself? Now, we don't all live in California, but you can bet that there are families all around you that need help. What if we looked for people to connect with? What if we invested in their lives? 

The reality is that social services are trying to protect children, but they do a poor job at best. No government agency can provide the support that individual families need. The truth is that we would rather make the government responsible for the sick and poor and oppressed, but the reality is that WE are responsible for those things. Social justice is important, but it cannot replace personal responsibility. This young mother's choices were unwise and the truth is that her children could pay the ultimate price. Let's not leave this in the hands of overwhelmed and under paid social workers. Let's live out what we believe.