[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 80 (Thursday, May 31, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H3275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FOSTER YOUTH SHADOW DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to participate in the 
Foster Youth Shadow Day Program in honor of National Foster Youth 
Month. Many of my colleagues today have been paired with a foster youth 
to give them a firsthand glimpse of life in and around the Capitol. It 
is our goal to encourage them to nurture their innate talents, develop 
their leadership qualities, and even explore potential careers here in 
Washington. I would like to thank all of the cochairs of the 
Congressional Caucus of Foster Youth, of which I am proud to be a 
member, for planning this important event today.
  I am also pleased to be paired with Dee Saint-Franc, a young woman 
who shows us all what determination and perseverance truly look like. 
Coming from a family that took in foster children, one of my priorities 
in Congress has been to ensure that this population has every 
opportunity to access and achieve success. Drawing on her personal 
experiences and leadership abilities, Dee has emerged as a strong 
advocate on this issue.
  I have had the privilege of working with Dee on issues affecting 
youth in the foster care system, and I have deep respect for her 
commitment, courage, and capabilities. Among her many accomplishments, 
she has demonstrated tremendous passion and skill through her role as 
board cochair of The Voice and as Rhode Island's delegate to the New 
England Youth Coalition. She attained an associate's degree in business 
management from Johnson & Wales University, and works for the Rhode 
Island Foster Parents Association.
  Dee came under the care of the Department of Children, Youth and 
Families at the age of 7 years old. She lived in group homes and with 
foster families, and, unfortunately, at some point along the way became 
a victim of identity theft. This issue of identity theft came to my 
attention a few years ago, and Dee's personal story, as well as the 
stories of numerous other foster youth brave enough to step forward, 
was crucial in passing legislation to deal with this problem.
  I'm pleased to report that last year President Obama signed into law 
the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, which 
contained a provision I authored to address identity theft in the 
foster care system. The measure requires States to provide foster youth 
ages 16 and older with a free copy of any consumer credit report 
pertaining to them while under State care, and to fix any problems if 
they are found so that when the child leaves State care, they do so 
with their identity and their credit intact. While this law would have 
protected Dee and others like her, she has nevertheless persevered and 
has done remarkable work with her peers in Rhode Island.
  Moving forward, Congress needs to do its part to further support 
Dee's efforts to level the playing field for foster youth. I'm proud to 
support bipartisan legislation being introduced by caucus Members today 
to remove obstacles to ensuring that foster youth get the education 
that they deserve. We can all take simple steps to help them apply for 
State benefits and financial aid they need when they age out of the 
system, and I have introduced legislation for that very purpose.
  Now at the age of 22, I am pleased to report that Dee is attending 
Rhode Island College, my alma mater, to pursue a bachelor's degree in 
social work. I'm also proud that Dee is working to give something back 
to her community, and wants to focus her academic career in the area 
for which she is uniquely qualified. She is a role model for her 
daughter and for all of us here today. And perhaps, Mr. Speaker, one 
day she will be down speaking on the House floor herself in the not-
too-distant future. I thank everyone for their support of Foster Care 
Awareness Month.

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