vileged families. Social Services never attempted to make advances in the enhancement of the economy. The “slums” based their revenue on child labor. Very often, the eldest child in the family brought in the most income. These new reforms left families hungry and in debt. This era also brought about “the basic rights of a child,” (Hawes, p. 20) such as the rights to education, the freedom from torture, the freedom of movement, and the freedom from discrimination. The rights of a child differ depending on the child’s age, but these rights are still not fully protected.Social Services usually only begins to protect the rights of children once they are born. However, organizations such as the Children’s Bureau consider the embryo the first stage of childhood which must be protected (Nazario, p. 3). About 1.2 million pregnancies are aborted every year. Not to mention the illegal abortions which take place every day, estimating at about 10,000 to 15,000 per year. Laws do not exist which ban abortions and Social Services has not tried to lobby against abortions. The mother has the right to bear children or not to bear children, and that cannot be taken away from her. However, what about the child? Historically, the unborn child was legally considered part of its mother’s body and had no specific rights of its’ own. More recently, the fetus has been considered a child with separate rights from the mother (Nazario, p. 23). If a child has the right to live, and a fetus is a child, it is only fitting the fetus should be granted the right to live also. Social Services is not fully effective if it only protects the rights ofTures, page 3children after they are born. Unborn children do not have the right to live, but they have the right to inherit property, have governmental support, financial aid, the right to his or her mother’s care, and the right to be protected from unlawful...
