Includes bibliographical references and index.

Annotation,In the tradition of J. Anthony Lukas's Common Ground and Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, a top-notch investigative reporter presents a harrowing account of our failed child-welfare system and reveals the human cost of that failure. The Lost Children of Wilder is the story of a long-running -- and only partially successful -- lawsuit that challenged the basic fairness of New York's foster care system. It's also the story of a family trapped in the system: Shirley Wilder, in whose name the lawsuit was filed, who entered foster care at twelve; her son, Lamont, whom she gave birth to at fourteen; and his own son, whom he is barely able to support. This shocking and comprehensive account of their troubled lives is destined to become a classic.

National Book Award Finalist, Nonfiction, 2001

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