Failing foster care system: Family members fight at funeral of 13-month old Christopher Thomas, murdered in foster care

Another child has become the victim of a failing foster care system in this country, and that is not the worst of this tragic story:

The 13-month-old Thomas died as a result of severe child abuse in a Milwaukee foster home.

His foster mother, Crystal Keith, who is also his aunt, is charged with murdering him. [...] Case workers are also required to pay monthly visits to foster homes, but in this case, 48 days went by without a visit. Keith told police she'd been abusing the boy for months. Source: TMJ 4 Milwaukee

It appears as if everyone failed this child. Those who should have protected him, his parents, his extended family, the foster care system, allowed this child to be murdered.

To make matters worse, the family broke out in a fight at the child's funeral (see video below of the fight) as raw emotions got the best of the mourners. I want to make it absolutely clear that I have absolutely NO sympathy for the family members who allowed this child to be bounced around, and ultimately murdered. Perhaps if they had fought over the child in life as they did after his death, he might still be alive today.

Another interesting detail of this story is that little Christopher was wanted by another family who was denied multiple adoption requests. I can't help but wonder if the fact that the family who wanted the child was white had anything to do with the rejection. It should be clear that any loving family (regardless of race) is better than an abusive family or institutionalization for the child.

I have no doubt that Christopher would be alive today if he had been placed with the white adoptive family that loved him and wanted him. What a tragedy!