Washington Must Step Up to Protect Foster Youths’ Benefits
When I was 11 years old, I lost my mother and my father was arrested for second-degree murder. With no relatives able to care for me, I was placed in foster care, where I stayed until I aged out at 18.
While other 11-year-olds were worried about video games and homework, I was grieving my parents, terrified of living with strangers, and anxious about how I would survive. I never felt so alone. I was in therapy for over a decade to help deal with the trauma, eating and behavioral issues I faced after going into foster care. Some of that trauma haunts me to this day.
I had one reason to hold onto hope. My mom honorably served in the Navy at Guantanamo Bay, and because of her death, I became eligible for her Veterans Pension benefits.