Family matters: Especially for young people in foster care
What families look like today has changed. Even the definition of family has evolved. That's a good thing. It's no longer the nuclear family model with a mom and dad. It may be two moms, two dads, grandparents or extended family members serving as legal guardians. Those who you call family may have no blood relation at all. It may be close friends, a social worker, a teacher or another caring person in your life. What hasn't change is there's no perfect family. We have disagreements. We have fights. We face uncertainty. We struggle. The day in the life of any family can feel like a roller coaster ride. But families also have to power to unite, provide love, support and foster a sense of belonging. We build lifelong bonds with those we call family. Did you know there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S? How these young people define family is complicated. They're forced to navigate a child welfare system that's struggling with th