JAMIL

In Take this Heart, we come to know Jamil, a gangly 14-year-old who not only is struggling with drugs but also having difficulties in school. At age 14, he is only reading at the second - or third-grade level. His math skills are similarly poor. Jamil's story depicts the cycle of substance abuse that often afflicts children in foster care. Jamil's mother, Frances, has been battling a drug addiction of her own throughout Jamil's life. The court deemed Frances unfit to parent Jamil and his five siblings when Jamil was four years old. During the next seven years, Jamil was placed with a series of foster families. A few of his placements lasted up to a year, but usually Jamil would remain in each home for just a month or two. Tess' home has been his most successful placement.

The film follows Jamil on a pair of visits to his mother's house. As he tries to get his mother's attention, it is clear that the experience isdisappointing. But we also hear Tess say that if Jamil were not able to maintain contact with his mother, he would likely become explosive.

While not all children maintain contact with their birth parents when placed in care, foster parents and social workers are required to makereasonable efforts to facilitate regular visits when it is in the best interest of the child. Public opinion varies as to the benefits of allowing children to maintain regular contact with their birth parents, particularly when the parent is fighting a drug addiction or other serious emotional problem. However, child welfare professionals generally agree that many children have strong bonds with their birth parents, and that those bonds should not be completely severed unless it becomes absolutely necessary to do so.

For Jamil, there are no easy answers. While Tess and Rodger do the best they can to help him, Jamil will need extensive assistance with his education in order to prepare for independent living. He is also in need of a role model and mentor to help him face the broader challenges of adolescence.