DEAR ABBY: I am almost 14 and live in a foster home. Before I entered foster care, I didn't think much about other kids and teens in foster homes. Now that I'm the one with the title "foster kid," I see everything in a new light. Although foster homes are a blessing to most kids who live troubled lives, it's still very hard to endure. If there is one thing I hate about being a foster child, it is feeling different from others in my new neighborhood and school.
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My message to your readers is: If there's a foster child you know, please reach out to him or her. We're not different from the rest of you.
Thank you for your time, Abby. Please share this with your readers. -- NAMELESS IN OREGON
DEAR NAMELESS: I'm pleased to spread your message. If people are hesitant to reach out to foster children, it may be because they are confused about why the children are in foster care.
Children are placed in foster care not because they have done anything wrong, but because, for whatever reason, their parents have neglected them or cannot provide a safe, nurturing environment for them. It is not the fault of the children. Foster children deserve all the attention, affection and encouragement you can give them. It will be returned a thousandfold.