May is National Foster Care month. This is a time to recognize all the hard-working people who strive to create better lives for the 400,000 children in the foster care system – caregivers, caseworkers, foster parents, policy makers, and community groups.
This month is also a time to recognize all the strides Washington state has made over the last several years to improve the lives of foster children:
- Fixing racial disparities in the system.
- Passing extended foster care so youth can have the opportunity to receive support until age 21.
- Helping foster children achieve more normalcy in their lives by allowing foster parents to make reasonable choices on their behalf, like whether or not to go on a school field trip.
- Providing foster children with attorneys so their rights and wishes may be represented.
- Ensuring foster children can visit with siblings more often.
- Providing foster children with educational liaisons to help them achieve greater success in school.
All Washington’s children deserve a chance to thrive. We must build on these successes and continue our hard work on behalf of foster youth!