Foster Kids need choice

Children thrive when there is consistency in their lives. Dramatic or stressful changes in a child's life can impact all aspects and turn their world upside down. A foster child has already been handed a rough deal; not only are they trying to understand why they were separated from their birth parents, they are placed into foster homes with strangers. As they adapt to their new 'families' they begin to gain stability and security. So often, foster children are moved from home to home, having their entire existence thrown into upheaval again. Even though they may just be moving across town or even down the street, they may need to transfer schools...again. Those poor children who have already been through too much, deserve some stability somewhere. They should be allowed choice to stay in their school. At least they will be surrounded by the same teachers and same friends while their 'families' are consistently different. According to this article in the Heartland Institute, written for the School Reform News, there was a bill announced to help alleviate at least some of the problems these children face:

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced in Congress the School Choice for Foster Kids Act, a measure that would amend an existing federal program to allow states to offer K-12 tuition scholarships to children in foster care.

Bachmann, who has served as a foster parent to 23 children, discussed how her personal experience motivated her to offer the legislation this past December.

"In my own family, several of our foster children were forced to change schools simply because we lived in a different school district than their previous foster parents," Bachmann explained. "My bill helps foster children avoid this displacement and gives foster parents the opportunity to choose a school that best suits their child's needs."

It just breaks my heart knowing what these children go through. Let's do something that can help them out just a little more, give them that extra chance in this world. As I also support choice for all children, I think starting with foster children is a necessary step in the right direction.