两性色午夜

两性色午夜 Student Helps Congress Change Child Welfare Laws

Student鈥檚 Past Influences Foster Care Future

The pain of moving from one home to the next, time and time again, for four years straight is helping Keri Richmond speak out for other foster children without a voice.

Richmond, a 两性色午夜 University junior majoring in public relations in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, shared her story with members of Congress and child welfare advocates during a Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill in late July.

鈥淚鈥檓 still in shock that two months of preparation is finally done,鈥 Richmond said. 鈥淚t was honestly so surreal presenting to White House staff and members of Congress. I was so emotional because this is an area I鈥檓 incredibly passionate about.鈥

Speaking on Capitol Hill

Richmond was one of 12 individuals from across the nation who spent 10 weeks this summer in Washington, D.C., as part of the  Foster Youth Internship Program鈩.

The assignment provides young adults, who have been in the U.S. foster care system, with an opportunity to intern in a Congressional office and research issues affecting children in foster care across the country. 

Hearing from the Experts

Richmond compiled her findings and recommendations into a policy report, which she presented and distributed at the event.

鈥淲hen I was presenting, I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest,鈥 Richmond said. 鈥淏ut it was worth it because these people have the power to do something and they need to hear from the experts. And the experts are the foster youth interns. We鈥檝e been through the system, we know the cracks better than anyone and can speak from our experiences about what works and what doesn鈥檛.鈥

Richmond focused on the importance of foster children participating in extracurricular activities. 

She credited the mentors she met through those activities for helping to encourage her to become the first in her family to go to college, an achievement that only three percent of foster youth nationwide accomplish.

鈥淔oster alumni are the true experts on foster care,鈥 said Becky Weichhand, executive director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. 鈥淭heir voices are vital and their stories compelling. These interns bring their individual passion to make a difference in the lives of other foster children and, as a result, federal policymakers are influenced to make changes necessary to improve the system so future children will be spared the challenges these individuals have struggled to overcome.鈥

Providing a Voice for the Voiceless

Richmond spent part of the summer interning on Capitol Hill for  from Ohio.

鈥淎ll of the interns knew we had to use our voice for the voiceless and had to embrace our past to change other foster youth鈥檚 futures,鈥 Richmond said. 鈥淚 am so grateful I had this opportunity and even more thankful to have had Sen. Portman and members of his team there to support me."

Richmond鈥檚 fight to improve the lives of children in foster care first caught the attention of WJW-FOX 8 News in February when she started collecting donations for , a nonprofit organization that fills special duffle bags, called Sweet Cases, with personal belongings including hygiene products, coloring books and blankets. The Sweet Cases replace the plastic trash bags that foster children are often given when they move to a new home.

Richmond exceeded her goal raising $4,200 and assembling 160 Sweet Cases.

Richmond says helping foster children and speaking out for them is shaping her future career, after she graduates from 两性色午夜 in May 2017.

鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what will come after school,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I know I will be in a job where I can advocate for others and I know I want to get back to Capitol Hill one day.鈥

POSTED: Monday, August 17, 2015 09:28 AM
Updated: Thursday, December 8, 2022 02:20 PM
WRITTEN BY:
Kristin Anderson