Many of us remember Y2K as
the transition year from the twentieth century to the twenty-first. A
major melt-down in financial and other institutions was widely anticipated,
with corporations working tirelessly to prevent that from happening, and
failing that, to have systems in place as a protective measure.
Against that backdrop, as
we successfully transitioned over to the twenty-first century, child advocate
Heather O’Neil was working tirelessly to increase awareness of the unique needs
of foster children. Her efforts in pulling diverse people together in
common cause were so successful that year that the State of New Jersey
designated December 12, 2000 as Foster Children's Day. A Senate Joint
resolution (#13) of the 29th Legislature,
sponsored by Senators John Lynch and Jack Sinagra, and co-sponsored by Senators
Vitale, Matheussen and Assemblyman Cottrell, was pre-filed for introduction in
the 2000 session.
USING A MIX OF PR
AND POLITICS TO INCREASE AWARENESS
The special day was
created to increase awareness of the unique needs of foster children - children
placed in the state's care to provide them with a temporary yet secure safety
net until their family environment became safe enough for them to return.
When then-Governor of New
Jersey Jim McGreevy was signing the proclamation into law back in 2003, he
called on state and local government, private organizations and the general
public to become more involved with foster children, and to acknowledge that these
special children were important and loved. While in office, Governor McGreevy
took aggressive steps to safeguard vulnerable children in the system, notably
creating the Child Advocate, an independent watchdog with far-reaching legal
powers to protect the children he serves. McGreevy urged more people to
become foster parents.
The national statistics
are cold and hard, drawn from the Administration for Children &
Families. There were 423,773 children in foster care nation-wide on
September 30, 2009, with a median age of 9.7 years. Plainly put, that
means that most of our foster children today are just under 10 years old and
spend an average of 15 months in the system. The attached pdf makes for grim
reading.
THE POLITICS OF
PUBLIC RELATIONS
However, no matter how
grim the statistics, Heather has neither given up nor given in. She has
made many friends and drawn even more people to the cause. Senator Joe
Vitale has performed great work on behalf of the foster children of New
Jersey, organizing the BackPack Campaign (in partnership with Stand for
Children, New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS),
and New Jersey Foster and Adoptive Family Services), which gives foster
children in New Jersey backpacks donated by area individuals and
businesses that contain notebooks, stuffed animals and personal items.
Bert Baron, the host of
New Jersey TODAY (1450 WCTC) was recognized recently for his work in
highlighting the plight of foster children. This recognition aired live and
online, with Edison Mayor Antonia Ricigliano presenting a special proclamation
marking Foster Children's Day in New Jersey. Former First Lady Lucinda Florio
and Commissioner Allison Blake of the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family
Services (DYFS) also participated, along with Heather. Senator Vitale called
in to the show to offer his support and congratulations.
A NATIONAL DAY FOR
FOSTER CHILDREN
While the State of New
Jersey, then, has recognized its foster children and continues to contribute in
a meaningful way to these young lives, we need to recognize that this is not a
single-state issue. New Jersey is not the only state in the union with
children in foster care. This is a nation-wide issue, and Heather now
brings the cause to Washington, DC. She is calling on Congress to recognize
our nation’s five hundred thousand plus foster children, each with their own
unique needs and experiences, by giving them their own day: National Foster
Children's Day. These children deserve their own day. They deserve our
help in overcoming the odds and becoming outstanding citizens like Heather
O’Neil. This is a call to arms, a call to get behind Heather and give her the
support she needs to enlighten our congressmen and women on the issues of our
foster children nation-wide. In this election year, contact your local
representative and get their support for Heather and the Foster Children of the
United States of America.
NEW JERSEY STATE
SENATE CANDIDATE JAN BIDWELL
As New Jersey State Senate
candidate Jan Bidwell said in support of Heather’s
work:
“Among my most respected heroes are the children who have been removed from their biological homes due to abuse and neglect, and who find their way to leading happy, productive lives. Foster children face odds that most can’t comprehend. When offered the chance to do better, to be better, most often those children jump at that chance. All too often, foster kids aren’t given enough chances to do all that they want to do. All too often, they aren’t offered more chances because Americans simply don’t know what foster kids face. Heather O'Neil's proposed National Foster Children's Day is one avenue to help America to be informed about the realities facing our foster children. Heather O’Neil is a shining example of what can be done, as a child excelling as she came through the system, and as a person helping foster children have a better chance of making it. I hope America recognizes National Foster Children’s Day. I hope these heroes of mine get the nation’s respect and attention they deserve.”
Margaret Mulvihill is Director of Communications at Lawson
Mulvihill in Washington, DC. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lawsonmulvihill
