Economists can approximately calculatedollaramounts for most things ; child abuse is no exclusion . A report from the Pew Charitable Trusts concluded that in 2007 , child abuse had a negative economical impact of just under $ 104 billion in the U.S. [ source : Pew ] . All of the aesculapian cost expended for hospital visits , costs for foster caution programs and for jurisprudence enforcement salaries on answered child abuse calls , along with indirect costs like support thecourt systemand deprivation of productivity totaled more than the U.S. drop on education as a whole the year before [ source : Heritage Foundation ] .
Of those cases of child abuse that plague the U.S. , as much as 86.6 percent stem from neglect , where kid are forget to fend for themselves and are n’t protect from at hand impairment by their parents or caregivers [ source : Kari and Associates , HHS ] . A resume of small fry welfare master witness that almost 80 percent of the prole estimate that at least one-half of all neglect cases develop from drug - addicted parent . It ’s also a criminal cycle : Children born addicted to drug are two to three fourth dimension more likely to be misuse than non - addicted children [ source : NACOA ] .
Considering the prevalence of child abuse in the U.S. and the disproportional function that drug addiction plays in lawsuit of ill-treatment , it ’s little surprise that Barbara Harris created Project Prevention . Harris is the founder of Children call for a Caring Community ( CRACK ) , the non - profit system that conduct out Project Prevention . In the late 1990s , the radical begin advertising its improper services via billboards and flyers distributed in poverty - stricken arena in Los Angeles . Taglines admit , " Do n’t let pregnancy ruin your drug substance abuse , " [ root : Paltrow ] .
The offer is simple . CRACK would give current and former addicts $ 200 ( and later $ 300 ) in proceeds for undergo sterilisation surgeries like tubal ligation for women and vasectomies for men . For a less amount , addict could accord to take prospicient - term birth ascendancy . Addicts who refer others for sterilisation get $ 50 . Aside from sign a contract , there are no strings attach and defrayment is made in cash .
Within 13 years of its founding , CRACK pay $ 200 to $ 300 to more than 3,700 drug junkie in the U.S. , is stimulate inroads into the United Kingdom and has plans for a similar program in Kenya for women with HIV / AIDS [ source : Time , Newman ] . Yet wherever Harris or CRACK appears , disceptation follow and some wonder whether the program is legal .
Project Prevention: Eugenics and Social Engineering?
In the early 20th century , the eugenics movement take root in the U.S.Eugenicsis the concept of that a " fitter " human metal money can be create by removing those with unsuitable trait – like inborn or chronic disease or low socioeconomic position – from thegenepool . For several decades , eugenics enjoyed democratic musical accompaniment . In fact , from the 1910s to the 1970s , federal and state political science carried out the sterilization of more than 60,000 Americans who suffered from epilepsy , mental illness , cecity or homelessness . The number also included goodly people of color [ source : Lombardo ] .
Some allege that CRACK is simply the new incarnation of this character of societal engineering science .
" It ’s but a bribe for sterilization , " said one Planned Parenthood director in 1999 [ reservoir : Belluck ] . Indeed , that establishment is one of numerous voice that allege Project Prevention ’s goals are base , unethical and peradventure illegal – at least as far as contract bridge law goes .
Legally , the issue is whether a drug - addicted individual is licitly of sound head and hence in a capability to make the life - falsify decisiveness of sterilization . What ’s more , the concept ofinformed consent– a tradition consort with sterilisation necessitate that the affected role choose the procedure freely . critic of Project Prevention argue the $ 300 hard cash given to the addict is decidedly coercive [ source : Scully ] .
The chemical group is also often criticized as unethical for what looks like a racial bias in Project Prevention . CRACK direct out that under 1,000 of their client have been dim , whereas more than 1,800 have been white-hot . However , critics charge out that Andrew Dickson White make up 79 percentage of the U.S. population , while Negro calculate for just about 13 percent [ seed : U.S. Census Bureau , Newman ] . In term of hard number , the program appears equitably distributed by race , but is skewed disproportionately toward blacks .
Beyond race , the very pattern of the program is classist by nature . One critic describes CRACK as " a body structure in which the economically privileged can and do dictate who will and who wo n’t have children " [ seed : Scully ] . Those in the drug discourse theatre of operations criticise the narrow focal point of the programme ; junky are n’t offered parenting or drug counseling , only sterilisation . What ’s more , as critics manoeuvre out , they ’re probable to use the money to plainly corrupt more drugs .
For her part , Barbara Harris tell she does n’t realize the controversy her program mother . She is the adopt mother of four kid yield to addicted parent . The people eligible to participate in her program have already stand at least one child already . And , in the end , the decision to be sterilise has been left up to the addict by the courtroom .
