I've been thinking of starting a letter writing campaign

[illinoisgranny]

I have been thinking about starting a letter writing campaign to address issues related to adoption and fostering many of us have experienced. I saw a youtube video where social workers went to a major news outlet in Oklahoma complaining about their problems with the state DHS. If they can do it, we can. We'd have to be careful about the privacy issues involved, but we could write to senators and representatives, news outlets, magazines, etc.

The sponsors of ASFA and the Fostering Connections to Success bills who are still in office are:

Representative Dave Camp (R - MI)
Sen. Jim Bunning [R-KY]
Sen. John Ensign [R-NV]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA17]
Rep. Barton (Bart) Gordon [D-TN6]
Rep. Kay Granger [R-TX12]
Rep. Walter (Wally) Herger [R-CA2]
Rep. Sander Levin [D-MI12]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA16]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY28]

CAPTA sponsors

Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI)
John Boehner (R-OH)

Here are addresses for major television news channels:

CBS Evening News 524 West 57th St. New York, NY 10019.
E-MAIL: [e-mail]

ABC News, 7 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023

Fox News 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York NY 10036

Here is a link for other major news outlets including television, radio, newspapers and magazines:

http://www.mediaresearch.org/MediaAd...aaddresses.asp

What better place to turn to than the elected officials and news outlets?

Do any of you think this is a good idea?

[Tigerchild]

I think all citizens should be communicating with their elected officials on a regular basis.

However, I think it's a good idea to have very specific goals that are narrowed down to just 1 or 2 things when you start a push. If it's too diffuse, like, "We need to support foster kids more," then anyone can give you a pat on the head and a smile and a nod and claim to be all for that--because who ISN'T really, taken in the broadest concept?

Once you have your 1 or 2 specific issues, you need to figure out what actions you want to see taken. Do you need to target the feds more? The state government? The media is excellent to reach out to--but they will respond more to specifics and focus than generalities.

I have been part of several activism campaigns whose main focus was letter writing and office visits. I'd be happy to help you craft your letter or whittle down your focus! If I hadn't had other people doing that for me, I don't think things would have been as successful as they were!

Beginning something like this can really seem daunting at first, because it's a slow process where you are putting one foot in front of the other, when most of the time what you WANT is global change (global as in big picture, not the whole earth, in this context).

You might also ask around your local/state/regional foster parents and adoption advocacy groups and find out what's cooking with them, and if you you could join up with or piggyback off them so you're not having to reinvent the wheel.