New Book Exposes Systemic Failures in U.S. Foster Care System Through Tennessee Case Studies

Veteran reporter Peter White has released a critical investigation into the U.S. foster care system with his new book 'Harvesting Children: The Dark Side of Foster Care,' available for purchase at Amazon. The book examines a national crisis affecting approximately 600,000 children taken into custody annually across the United States, with 400,000 placed into foster care.

The investigation focuses particularly on the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, documenting harrowing true stories of families in crisis who were torn apart by the agency. White's reporting reveals a pattern of systemic failure and, at times, outright corruption within child welfare systems. The narrative is powerfully framed by the story of Connie Reguli, a family law attorney who battled DCS for three decades before being framed for a manufactured crime and stripped of her law license.

This exposure of systemic failures matters because it affects the most vulnerable citizens—children in state care—and reveals how government systems designed to protect them may instead cause trauma and family separation. The implications extend beyond Tennessee, suggesting nationwide patterns that could impact child welfare policies, social work practices, and legal frameworks governing family rights.

White's book serves as more than an exposé, featuring an addendum of writings from leading experts, advocates, and scholars. This makes it essential reading for sociology students, parents, social workers, judges, lawyers, and anyone concerned with child welfare. The timing of the Labor Day release underscores the connection between workers' rights and the welfare of children in state care systems.

The investigation gives voice to advocates, lawyers, and insiders fighting for change within a system that affects both children and adults across the country. As White states, '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.'