Thank you for listening.
Welcome to the Kids Are Waiting My Story Project, an opportunity for youth who have experienced life in the nation's foster care system to speak out and encourage Congress to make some important changes to the federal financing system that governs this program. Youth from across the country told us their stories through photos and video, and now we are sharing them with you. Their messages are important, and we believe Congress and the public need to hear them.
Why do we need federal foster care financing reform?
Because too many kids are spending too many years in foster care, and changes need to be made. Many foster children are waiting to go home; others are waiting for a permanent family. If Congress changed the way that foster care is financed, more families would be able to stay together in the first place, and children could leave foster care more quickly for permanent homes through reunification with their parents, adoption or legal guardianship. All children need the support of a loving family. The current and former foster youth you will meet on this Web site know this better than anyone.
Something Given, Something Returned
In addition to being featured on this Website, selected video and photo submissions were the highlight of a September 2007 film festival in Columbus, Ohio, at the Public Children Services Association of Ohio's annual conference, and again at an October conference for current and former foster youth. Some youth from across the United States that entered videos were invited to fly to the film festival and network with each other. Every youth who submitted an entry received a My Story Project T-Shirt for participating, and one lucky youth won a drawing for an iPod Nano.
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