Foster Kids

Lots of people have fairly firm notions about the U.S. foster care system. But those notions aren?t always informed by what the children and young people who are ?in the system? have to say. With approximately 523,000 youth of all ages in the system, there?s a large population of young people with inside knowledge of the situation. How can their expertise help us understand and improve foster care? In Connect for Kids? latest Talktime Live! online chat, several foster youth will share their experiences, and take questions on what foster care is really like.

During the hour-long live chat, Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips will be joined by several foster kids who write for Youth Communication?s Represent Magazine. Their experiences in care vary widely, from one who has been in mostly institutional care for most of her life, to one who entered care in her late teens, when she was already a mother herself. The publication is written by a core staff of 15 young people in New York City, and receives submissions from foster youth throughout the country.

Parents, policymakers, educators and anyone else wanting the inside scoop on foster care are encouraged to send advance questions and comments for the foster kids to rob@connectforkids.org. Those who can log on during the chat will also be able to submit live questions.

Talktime Live! is a bimonthly online discussion series for expert panelists, concerned parents, educators, advocates and policymakers. Previous Talktime Live! topics have included books for teens, recruiting and retaining foster parents, and preventing obesity.

What: Talktime Live! online discussion ? a dialogue featuring foster youth voices
Who: Represent Magazine youth writers
Jarel, age 18
Natasha, age 17
Shannel, age 19
Erica, age 19
Susan Phillips, Editor, Connect for Kids
When: Wednesday, May 11, 2005
1:00 p.m. ? 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: http://www.connectforkids.org.
Transcripts of the discussions are available online.