U.S. Newswire (Seattle, WA)

National Foster Care Month Campaign Launched For May; Hundreds of Ways to'Change a Lifetime' for Youth Living in Foster Care

National Desk Section
By Nina Dietrich
May 1, 2006

May is National Foster Care Month, a time to raise public awareness of the need for more people to make a difference in the lives of the 518,000 children and youth living in foster care in the U.S. A partnership of 14 national child welfare organizations and advocates led by Casey Family Programs, launched National Foster Care Month and the "Change a Lifetime" campaign to educate individuals and communities and stimulate their involvement in the hundreds of ways they can help meet the needs of those living in foster care.

The statistics about children living in foster care are alarming:

—Half of the children living in foster care in the U.S. are 10 years old or older.

—Nearly 20,000 youth will "age out" of foster care this year, most of whom are only 18-years-old and still need support and services. When they leave foster care, they will be vulnerable to homelessness, unemployment, compromised mental health, poor educational status, poverty, substance abuse and incarceration.

—More than 2 million additional children live with their grandparents or other relatives (known as "kinship care") because their parents cannot care for them.

—As a percentage, there are disproportionately more children of color in the foster care system (60 percent) than in the general U.S. population despite the fact that child abuse and neglect occur at approximately the same rate across all racial/ethnic groups.

However, nationally reported data shows improvements in two areas:

—A 6 percent decrease in the number of children and youth living in foster care from 2000 to 2004,

—A 9 percent decrease in the median amount of time spent living in foster care, from 33 months in 2000 to 30 months in 2004.

Virginia Pryor, chair of the National Foster Care Month Campaign states, "While we have seen some modest improvements, this data continues to underscore the campaign's core objectives. It is our responsibility to ensure that we get involved in the lives of children in foster care in anyway that we can. These youth are the Nation’s most vulnerable population. They are in our schools, churches and neighborhoods and are waiting for you to share your heart, open your home, offer your help and change a lifetime. Make a permanent connection today."

Prominent Foster Care Alumni Help Raise Awareness in 2006

Several prominent foster care alumni are serving as National Foster Care Month spokespeople this year. By sharing their personal experiences and developing a call to action for the general public, as well as within the realms of entertainment, fashion, publishing and professional sports, they are helping raise the awareness for the needs of children living in foster care. They include:

Victoria Rowell, award-winning television and film actress, spent 18 years in foster care. She recently received the NAACP Best Actress award for her role as Drucilla Winters and the foster care storyline she introduced on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. Through her nonprofit, the Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan, she develops internships that allow foster youth to work behind the scenes of some of Hollywood's most successful TV programs. As part of the Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan, in May 2006 she will tour with a national art show whose works were created by children and youth living in foster care as part of their efforts to engage in creative pursuits, while exploring issues of beauty, identity, struggle and a personal voice.

After living in well over 30 foster homes, group homes and psychiatric facilities, and overcoming dangerous withdrawals from inaccurately prescribed drugs, Regina Louise, author of the best- selling memoir Somebody's Someone, has become a clear definition of resilience. Regina Louise not only touches, moves and inspires her readers to want to stand and shout, she leaves them with the sheer hope of possibility.

Keith Bulluck All-Pro Linebacker for the Tennessee Titans known as the 'Pit Bull' of the Tennessee Titans defense, was the Titan's first pick in the 2000 NFL draft. Keith's childhood is another testimony to his strength and resilience having been abandoned at age 12 by his mother, Keith entered the foster care system before he went on to Syracuse to earn a degree in psychology. In an effort to give back to the community and extend his hand to children with similar foster care backgrounds, Bulluck founded Keith Bulluck "Believe and Achieve Foundation, Inc." in 2003, which works with Middle Tennessee and New York foster care groups. Bulluck's goal is to raise foster care and adoption awareness and help children with whom he can relate succeed in accomplishing their dreams.

Bob Danzig grew from a childhood spent in five foster homes to two decades as nationwide head of The Hearst Newspaper Group and vice president of The Hearst Corporation. After graduating from high school with no family support, he took a job as an office boy at the Albany (N.Y) Times Union. Nineteen years later he became publisher of the Times Union, before heading to the helm of The Hearst Newspaper Group. Now an author and motivational speaker, Bob is also a member of the teaching faculty at the prestigious New School University and the guiding hand of The Hearst Management Institute.

Tony Shellman, the co-founder of ENYCE Clothing (a Liz Claiborne Company), is a trendsetter in the hip-hop and fashion industries who was adopted from foster care at a very young age. Shellman's story has been featured in Black Enterprise magazine as a profile in courage. Tony is working to open the doors of his own company and encourage leaders fashion and other industries to do the same.

Kashif grew up living in eight different foster homes in the poorest neighborhoods of Brooklyn, N.Y. Today, Kashif is a successful entrepreneur and an award-winning songwriter, musician, and producer. The author of several books and software programs that teach others how to navigate the music industry, he shares his expertise with foster youth via Kashif University courses and through internships at his own company, Brooklyn Boy.

Josh Shipp's personal story of triumph over tragedy inspires youth to overcome life's struggles and live life to the fullest. He attributes his personal growth to the encouragement of a great foster home, dynamic teachers, and school programs. Now an author and public speaker, Josh has committed his life to helping others achieve their goals.

Tom Wilson has been the Ziggy cartoonist since 1987 and this year, Ziggy has been named a spokes-character for National Foster Care Month to recognize the efforts of foster parents across the nation and spread awareness about the ever-growing need for foster parents. With cartoonists at the forefront of the news today, Tom Wilson can discuss the evolution of Ziggy and why he became involved in National Foster Care Month.

Now is the time to get involved and change the lifetime of a child. During May, there are hundreds of planned community events and activities that raise awareness and help increase support for youth in foster care. For more information on local events and the many ways to get involved, visit http://www.fostercaremonth.org.

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National Foster Care Month is a partnership of Casey Family Programs; Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services; Black Administrators in Child Welfare; Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Child Welfare League of America; Connect for Kids; Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative; APHSA/National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators; National Association of Social Workers; National CASA; National Foster Care Coalition; National Foster Parent Association; and the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning Hunter College School of Social Work, a Service of the Children's Bureau.

Contact: Nina Dietrich for Casey Family Programs, 201-493-8944 or Nina@trueinsightmarketing.com