Foster children need year-round care and attention
Every day, over 513,000 American children are living in foster care because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential well-being. In Massachusetts, there are approximately 9,481 kids in care.
May was National Foster Care Month, a time for honoring those caring individuals across the nation who are helping ensure that foster children in Massachusetts and everywhere build brighter futures.
National Foster Care Month draws needed attention to the plight of those seeking a stable and secure home until they can either return to their parents or establish a lifelong connection to a nurturing adult.
But much more help is called for within communities, not only in May, but throughout the year.
Massachusetts is looking for individuals to step forward as foster parents, mentors, volunteers or employers, and support our communities’ most vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential and find success in life.
Without lifelong connections, youth in foster care will “age out” and are more likely than their peers to endure homelessness, poverty, unemployment, incarceration and other adversities. Our communities will benefit when all foster kids are assured of someone to care for them and a place where they can belong.
To learn more about National Foster Care Month and how you can help moving forward, please visit www.fostercaremonth.org.
Working together, we can change a lifetime.
Al Casad
Division Director
Casey Family Services
The war goes on
George Bush and the Republican Party have won. The Democrats’ attempt to include a troop withdrawal date from Iraq in the war-funding bill has failed. The war goes on.
At this rate, the Republicans can keep the war going for at least another 24 months before a Democratic president can end the war. During that period, America will pay a heavy price in lives and money. At the current rate of three American soldiers killed per day, in 24 months, 2,160 more Americans will die.
At the current rate of eight soldiers wounded per each one killed, by the spring of 2009, more than 17,280 additional soldiers will be maimed or crippled. Also, at the war’s current cost of $8 billion per month, an additional $192 billion will be wasted.
During this same 24-month period, Iraq will look about the same or worse then it did in 2003, when Bush ordered U.S. troops to invade the country.
Iraqis will still be killing each other when they are not killing Americans, and Bush will be looking for justification for the 5,635 American soldiers lost, the 42,829 wounded and the half a trillion dollars spent on the Iraq war.
Americans can do their part to stop this useless loss of life and waste of billions of dollars by e-mailing their senator (www.senate.gov) or congressperson (www.house.gov) and demanding an immediate end to the Iraq war.
Elie Parker
San Leandro, Calif.
