To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Education for Foster Children
Children in the U.S. foster care system need education and training to improve their ability to rise above having been abused and/or neglected. The United States should guarantee that foster kids get at least 2 years of free college or trade school, to give them a fighting chance for success in life.
Why is this important?
I serve on the board of a CASA program that serves foster children by providing them with volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates. Many foster kids have no relative who can take them in when they have been abused or neglected by their loved ones and/or perpetrators, so they become wards of the state. They "age out" of the foster care system at 18 years of age. When foster parents are no longer paid monthly stipends to keep these kids, then many foster kids can become homeless while still attending high school. If foster kids know they will be eligible for at least 2 years of college or trade school, it will give them hope for the future and incentive to complete high school.