Greetings From Witness Protection!

Greetings from Witness Protection devotes much attention to describing the foster care system from Nicki Demere’s point of view. She has multiple psychological issues related to her unstable home life. She’s an adept pickpocket and experiences an uncontrollable compulsion to steal whenever she’s too stressed. In addition, she can’t tolerate anyone or anything touching her hands.

While one might assume that these traits are fictional embellishments meant to add texture to the novel, they’re typical in survivors of the foster care system. Children who end up in foster care frequently come from troubled homes in which their parents are incapable of raising them. This early instability has a negative effect on the psychological development of a young child, especially in the formative years before age eight.

Approximately 437,000 children are in the US foster care system. Out-of-family care is generally intended as a temporary measure until a child can be placed in a permanent home, but statistics suggest that many children remain in the system until they age out of it (that is, until age 18). In the novel, Nicki changes homes once a year for five years. Numerous pitfalls are associated with extensive time in the foster care system. Children may have abusive or neglectful foster parents. Even when their caregivers behave in nurturing ways, this may not be enough to offset the instability that foster children typically feel.

Those who spend a large amount of time in foster care develop certain psychological traits that make their lives even more difficult. Many of these children exhibit trust issues and perceive that they have no control over any aspect of their lives. They’re twice as likely to experience depression as their peers raised in stable homes and have a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than combat veterans. In addition, many foster children display symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They demonstrate symptoms of anxiety and elevated levels of cortisol, indicating chronic emotional distress. Over time, elevated cortisol can compromise the immune system.

About three-quarters of the children in foster care remain in the system for an average of two years. Unfortunately, the rest stay much longer. Aging out of the system means that a child reaches the age of 18 without ever having been adopted. This condition presents even more pitfalls when the former foster care inmate must function as an independent adult in the outside world. These individuals face a high probability of joblessness and homelessness because of the disruptions they experienced during their formative years. They’re also likely to get into trouble with the law. Many become sex workers or criminals, and others have substance abuse problems. Less than half ever receive a high school diploma. Given Nicki’s demographic in the novel, she might easily have aged out of the system, and her future prospects would have been bleak. Fortunately for her, the Trevors provide the stable, loving environment she needs to ensure a happier outcome.