The world is ablaze with COVID-19, and that seems to be all that we see on the news. It’s easy to forget about the other areas of need in the world, such as the foster care system in the United States.
There are over 400,000 children in the foster care system at any time in the United States, with 125,000 of those children permanently separated from their family of origin. This is actually a 23% increase from 2012. On top of all of that, over 20,000 teenagers age out of the foster care system every year. It is so important to make sure these children leave the system with a strong family and support system. There are so many challenges and gaps in the system that need to be addressed to make sure these children have a shot at a successful future. Rob’s guest today is Rita Soronen, the CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Rita is here to talk about the urgent needs of foster youth and to dispel some of the myths that surround the foster care system and those involved.
No child chooses the house, family, or situation that they are born into. Some are lucky, coming into families that have resources and love to take care of them. For so many others, a dysfunctional household filled with violence or drugs is all that they know. Problems like these are the reasons that the foster care system is seeing such a dramatic increase in numbers every year. It’s important that the public understands that though these children are where they are through no fault of their own, they still need the attention, security, and resources that every other child needs!
Links to Resources:
See how you can make a difference!: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org/
Rita’s Twitter: @rsoronen
Rita’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soronen
If you have questions or want to come on the show, email Rob at: rob@ccofpc.org
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