ALSO SEE NEW JAMES CARTOON
 "Blood Cries from the Ground"

 Children's Bureau of the Dept of Health & Human Services reports:

249 children exited the foster care system BY DEATH in the 6 month period from 10/1/97 to 3/31/98. (Only 39 states reporting)

There were 996 child deaths in the entire year of 1997 due to abuse or neglect.  If you took this 6 month figure and doubled it to equal 1 year, foster care deaths would represent 50% of all child deaths.

The children in foster care represent only 1.7% of the general population of children. If the rate of child deaths were proportionate, there would only be 17 child deaths from foster care. This means that children are dying 59 TIMES more often in foster care than in the general population!
Apr. 13, 2003
Dominic remembered at monument unveiling
Sidney James also announces that a shelter for fathers will open in St. Louis.
By Angela Wilson
News-LeaderLeader
Friends and family of Dominic James get ready to release balloons Saturday at St. Luke’s Cemetery in Marshfield.
Edmée Rodriguez / News-Leader
Marshfield — Since a headstone for his son was placed in a Marshfield cemetery nearly two weeks ago, Sidney James has often found himself kneeling at the site.

He talks gently to 2-year-old Dominic Raynell James, telling him about how his August 2002 death is bringing changes to Missouri’s foster care system. He tells him how other children will be protected through those changes.

And he tells Dominic how God is working through his father.

“I tell him this is just the beginning of what his father is doing,” James said Saturday as he stood near the black granite grave marker.

....The large black granite monument features an engraved picture of Dominic praying with Jesus and photographs of the youngster with his parents.

“His courage, his smile, his grace gladdened the hearts of those who had the privilege of loving him,” says an inscription on the marker, just below an embedded oval-shaped picture featuring Dominic wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt.