By Erica Thomas
Guest Author
As children Steve Jobs, Eddie Murphy, and Domino’s founder, Tom Monaghan, spent time in the foster care system. Jobs and Monaghan were adopted; Murphy was eventually reunited with his mother. While these well-known names are often celebrated as examples of a foster care success story, other children in the system are slapped with detrimental labels – rude, immoral, juvenile delinquents.
As a “foster care success story” myself, I understand how feeling loved, safe, and accepted – things the average child inherently has – empowers a child to grow into a successful adult.
Labels create a narrative that impacts the system by deterring potential foster families and negatively affecting the mental health of kids in foster care. America is facing a shortage of foster care homes, especially within communities of color.
About the author: Erica Thomas is a former State Representative for Georgia’s 39th district. As an adult that aged out of the foster care system, Thomas uses her platform to advocate for children and is the co-chair of the Kidsave’s EMBRACE Project task force.
