On the recordMay 9, 2012
I wear this pin today in honor of May as National Foster Care Month. At the end of fiscal year 2010, over 100,000 foster youth were eligible and waiting for adoption. Sixty-five percent of former foster children experienced at least seven school changes while in care. In 2010, almost 30,000 youth ``aged out'' of the foster care system without a permanent family. In some States, up to 50 percent of former foster and probation youth become homeless within the first 18 months of emancipation. In some cities, nearly 60 percent of victims of domestic minor sex trafficking are youth from the foster care system. All children deserve safe, loving, and permanent homes. We must work together to create good policy for foster youth, and I would encourage anyone thinking about becoming a parent to consider changing a life through adoption and foster care. ____________________
