Foster Kids To Trump: Families Belong Together!

Last week, I connected with a young man in foster care. I casually asked him about his weekend plans and he told me that he planned on attending the, “Families Belong Together” march in Phoenix, AZ with his peers who are also in foster care. I was pleasantly surprised at his response. To be honest, I was unaware that the march was taking place and I didn’t really know what it was about. Families Belong Together was a national march that recently took place in cities across the country on June 30th that aimed to protest the separation of immigrant children from their families at the US-Mexico border.

I was impressed with his interest in protesting the separation of immigrant families because he expressed that he could relate to the impact of being a child taken away from his biological family. He spoke very passionately about his disagreement with the current presidential administration’s Zero Tolerance Policy on immigration and the negative effects that could potentially harm young children who are removed from their families’ care.

After speaking with him, the idea that he expressed most sincerely was that the separations weren’t the right thing to do to children who are defenseless. He mentioned how his peers also disagreed with President Trump’s policy, citing their personal experiences in foster care as well. He noted that his peers were excited to participate in the event.

                I personally believe that it’s good for young people who have experienced foster care to identify with the peril of children separated from their families and learn how to advocate for them. It gives foster kids the opportunity to be a voice for other vulnerable youth who cannot speak for themselves. I encouraged this young man to continue to remain civically active and to stand up for the causes that he believes in. His message to Trump was loud and clear: Families belong together!

Sade Bradford-Bond writes a blog that encourages people who experienced foster care at www.onlyamountain13.blogspot.com. See more of her work at www.sadebradford.com.