Veteran reporter Peter White has released an investigative book that examines critical failures within the United States foster care system. The book, titled 'Harvesting Children: The Dark Side of Foster Care,' focuses on the Tennessee Department of Children's Services while addressing broader national issues in child welfare.
White documents harrowing true stories of families torn apart by the system, featuring firsthand accounts from parents who either regained custody of their children or lost them permanently. The narrative is framed by the experience of family law attorney Connie Reguli, who fought the Tennessee agency for three decades before being stripped of her law license after what White describes as a manufactured crime.
The book reveals that approximately 600,000 children are taken into custody by child welfare agencies across the United States each year, with 400,000 placed into foster care. White characterizes this as a national crisis affecting both children and adults, exposing patterns of systemic failure and corruption.
'This is the elephant in the room that everybody sees but nobody knows what to do about. Too many kids are put in foster care. This book explains how they got there and what needs to be done,' White said about his investigation.
Beyond serving as an exposé, 'Harvesting Children' functions as an educational resource featuring an addendum with writings from leading experts, advocates, and scholars. The book is positioned as essential reading for sociology students, parents, social workers, judges, lawyers, and anyone concerned with child welfare issues.
The book is available for purchase globally through Amazon. White, who previously published investigative stories on Tennessee's Department of Children's Services, brings decades of reporting experience to this examination of a system designed to protect vulnerable children.
