Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown

During Foster Care Alumni of America's recent visit to Washington DC, the Ohio chapter's first visit was to the office of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

We met with his legal assistant Caroline Wells (pictured in light blue shirt in center.)

455 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510.
(202) 224-2315
caroline_wells@brown.senate.gov

The issue that we focused on was H.R. 4207, otherwise known as "the de-linking bill."

This bill allows states to receive federal reimbursement for all children in foster care, regardless of their biological parents' income, and also rewards states for preserving families by allowing them to reinvest funds.

1. Kevin Brown took the leadership role in initiating the discussion.
2. Lisa Dickson shared her personal story about how her father's middle class income did not help her during the time that she was in foster care.
3. Amanda Dunlap introduced the solution and gave the packet of information
4. We made sure to mention the Ohio statewide youth advisory board's recommendation to support the Boxer bill and raise the age to 23
5. Since Senator Brown is a Cleveland native, we also shared the current successes and initiatives of the Cuyahoga Youth Council, including their upcoming "Orientation to Emancipation."