Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District of New York that includes Upper Manhattan and part of the Bronx, took part in Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day, by hosting Riverhead, NY resident Larry Walker.
Walker attended a Ways and Means Subcommittee hearing, toured the Capitol and interviewed the Congressman’s staff during Foster Youth Shadow Day.
“I was proud to have a fine young man like Larry shadow me,” said Rangel. “Everyone deserves a safe, loving and permanent home with equal opportunity for success. I hope that Larry was inspired to see what is possible in his future, and will work to open doors for youths from all backgrounds to achieve their dreams.”
“I had a great visit with the Congressman this morning and I was glad to attend the Ways and Means hearing on healthcare, which is an important issue that I’ve been dealing with myself,” said Walker. “There was so much to take in when I saw the U.S. Capitol and the surrounding monuments. I look forward to visiting Washington again soon to advocate on healthcare and foster care, and to see the Lincoln Memorial.”
As a youth, Walker became frustrated that his voice was not being heard and adults did not want to listen about his experiences in foster care. After seven years in the foster care system, Larry finally found his voice being heard at the Timothy Hill Children’s Ranch. Walker hopes to further implement successful programs like this one in the future.
May is National Foster Care Month, and young men and women from across the country attended Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day, which gave them the opportunity to speak with members of Congress and tell them their experiences with foster care and the foster care system. Walker was one of about 60 students chosen to attend this event, in part because of his interest in advocacy on issues affecting foster youth. As of September 30, 2012, there were an estimated 399,500 children in foster care in the United States.
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