[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6134]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1100
                           FOSTER CARE MONTH

  (Ms. BASS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join President Obama in 
recognizing May as National Foster Care Month.
  The goal of this special month is to raise awareness about the 
experiences of more than 400,000 youth in the foster care system and to 
recognize the essential work that foster parents, social workers, and 
advocates have in the lives of children in foster care throughout the 
United States.
  Foster care was created as a temporary placement for children who 
have been abused or neglected. The act of removing a child, even from 
an abusive home, is traumatic; yet, even in the face of these 
challenges, the resiliency of foster youth remains strong.
  For example, Maurissa, a young woman who spent most of her high 
school years in a residential facility in Los Angeles, was able to 
graduate high school with honors and go on to Oxnard College. It took 
Maurissa almost 10 years to complete community college. She explains: 
``I was living on my own and working a minimum of 40 hours per week, 
and I had to take algebra nine times to pass.''
  Maurissa struggled to get past her experiences but was able to find 
someone who believed in her. Dr. Adam Grudberg, a faculty member at the 
residential facility, encouraged her to reach her dreams.
  When Dr. Grudberg died at the young age of 30, Maurissa knew she 
couldn't let him down. She went on to graduate from California State 
University with her undergraduate degree in psychology and then on to 
Harvard Graduate School of Education to receive her master's degree in 
human development and psychology.
  In honor of Maurissa's courage and Dr. Grudberg's inspiration, I 
invite my colleagues to join the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth 
and cosponsor the bipartisan resolution in recognition of National 
Foster Care Month.

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