FOUNDATION-SPONSORED GROUNDBREAKING DOCUMENTARY SHEDS LIGHT ON AMERICA'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEMS

"The Beat Down Club" Shows the System Through the Eyes of Foster Children, Encourages Action

McLean, VA – The Freddie Mac Foundation's latest effort to improve the lives of foster children and spread the word about America's need for more foster and adoptive parents comes in the form of a documentary film. "The Beat Down Club," directed by Don Horwitz and sponsored by the Foundation, is a groundbreaking, 60-minute documentary that exposes many of the realities of America’s foster care system.

“The Beat Down Club” takes an intimate, personal look at what it means to grow up as a foster child in America as it depicts the foster care system through the eyes of children and youth. The film introduces viewers to children in Miami, Boston and Chicago, who tell their stories of the abuse and neglect that brought them into the system, and of their experiences within the system. Judges, foster parents, and other child advocates also provide accounts of trying to work within the present system for many years.

The Beat Down Club" Shows the System Through the Eyes of Foster Children, Encourages Action

Though many of the stories in "The Beat Down Club" present a shocking picture of the current foster care system, there are also success stories that come from the love and support caring foster and adoptive parents can provide, and the film looks at the hope these models offer.

"Working to find permanent, loving homes for foster children is near and dear to our hearts at the Freddie Mac Foundation, so we are thrilled to have played a part in making “The Beat Down Club” a reality. The film supports the Foundation’s mission by bringing into sharp focus what happens to children when they are not placed in permanent, loving homes, and it builds awareness for the great need for adoptive homes,” says Maxine B. Baker, president and CEO of the Freddie Mac Foundation.

“It is critical to listen to children in foster care if we are to correct the problems that plague the system,” says Horwitz, who filmed the documentary over a period of four years. “For this film, we interviewed hundreds of children in foster care around the country to get an idea of what it is like to live in foster care. We had to build trust with all of these children. Afterwards, we were emotionally drained, but it was worth it because we ended up with a film that represents the majority of children in the system. This was the most difficult project that I have ever worked on," added Horwitz.

Nationwide, nearly 550,000 children are in foster care and 126,000 of those are available for adoption. Children generally stay in the system for almost three years before either being reunited with their families or adopted. More than 20,000 children never get to leave the system—they remain in foster care until they “age out,” never having experienced a stable environment in which to grow and learn.

The problems with foster care and the sadness of these children’s plights affect the whole community: 30 percent of homeless people and 80 percent of the prison population were once in foster care. Permanent adoptive homes can help foster children and the country.

“The Beat Down Club” will be airing on PBS stations throughout the country starting in the month of November, to coincide with National Adoption Month. In addition, premieres are taking place in key cities, including the nation’s capital on November 4, 2004. The screening in Washington, DC will take place at 7:30 p.m. at The Fairmont Washington.

In conjunction with this documentary, the website fosterlinks.org has been created as a call to action, to help guide people through the sometimes overwhelming process of helping improve a foster child’s life. Visitors to the site will meet foster children, learn about the system in an educational section and explore different ways to become involved in a foster child's life. Links connect to programs, grants and opportunities that are available throughout the country.

In addition to the Freddie Mac Foundation, current link partners include National CASA, National Foster Parent Association, The Dave Thomas Foundation, CWLA, and Congressional Coalition on Adoption.

The Freddie Mac Foundation focuses on strengthening families by preventing child abuse and neglect, helping find foster children adoptive homes, and developing youth. In addition to sponsoring its signature programs—Healthy Families America, Wednesday's Child television program that helps foster children find permanent homes and J.C. Nalle Community School—the Foundation supports the community by providing funds for various non-profit organizations serving children and their families.

Created by Freddie Mac in 1991, the Freddie Mac Foundation is dedicated to opening the doors to hope and opportunity to children and their families. As the largest corporate funder in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Freddie Mac and the Freddie Mac Foundation have invested more than $320 million to help children and families.