I HAVE A NEW GOAL

In my other world I am a self-publisher of multi-media e-books. My site is Wade-In Publishing. I believe my greatest is Beads on a String-America's Racially Intertwined Biographical History.
“I feel that we as Americans are all equal and held together by a common thread. Like a treasured beaded necklace of different colors held together on a string, we are held together by our necessities and our circumstances and our humanity. Every color helps to make the necklace beautiful. We can never be a totally separate entity! Americans of all colors are so integrated that if we hurt one, we hurt all. Just like that necklace of treasured beads, leave one out and the gap is seen. Break the chain and many of us are lost.”I have decided on a goal and it is to be part of the Raise Me Up (foster care awareness program)you can  learn more of it here. Hint:The book is part of the goal.

After several years of caring for the children of others, many I have even provided homes. I can't say I was a 'traditional' foster parent because none came from the state, but a few have lived with us for one to three years. I hated returning them to survive within the same destructive environment their parent/parents provided. These are the statistics of foster care in Texas.

FOSTER CARE FACTS BY THE NUMBERS*

Children in out-of-home care     28,005

Children entering foster care      13,464

Children exiting foster care         15,566

Length of stay in foster care        mean 25.7 months, median 15.9 months

Children each year who age out                1,504, 9.7% of all exits

* CWLA National Data Analysis System, AFCARS 2008

Problems Facing Youth After Foster Care:

• Lack of education
• Homelessness
• Difficulty accessing health care
• Substance abuse
• Early parenting
• Life on public assistance
• Incarceration

 Okay, check out my goals and make it yours.