FCC Goes to Washington (Part 1)

On March 11, 2010, Nakea Paige, a member of the Foster Care Campaign’s staff for four years, testified at a Congressional Briefing on Rep. Stark’s (D-CA) “Every Child Deserves a Family Act.” Testifying on the importance of permanence- a stable, loving, long-term home- for every child, Nakea was able to raise her voice in support of an important bill.

 

The act aims to increase the number of adoptive families available to foster youth by cutting funding to states that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and marital status. With 500,000 children in foster care nationally, and 120,000 aging out of care each year, FCC feels it is important to give youth as many options for permanence as possible. As Nakea said, “A home is a home, and I’d rather have one, with people who care, than be on the street.”

 

This marks the first time FCC has spoken on a federal level, and it has been exciting to travel our home at YWP, and the familiar halls of the Wilson building, where YWP often testifies to DC Council. FCC’s teen staff are taking their message- the need to improve the lives of older foster youth in DC- to national decision makers. This was the first of two testimonies to be delivered by FCC staff members at the request of House and Senate staff members.

 

The testimonies to national lawmakers will continue this afternoon, March, 16, as FCC staff speaks at a Senate Hearing overseeing CFSA.