CHANGE MY LOCATION
Baltimore Foster care picnic to reunite separated siblings
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - After growing up mostly in foster care, Shantel Randolph, now 26, feels for children following in her footsteps.
She knows that feeling unwanted can be detrimental to children’s journey to adulthood — especially if he or she was torn away from brothers or sisters.
“Kids separated from their siblings don’t get that normal bonding process, as it can be months — even years — before they see each other again,” Randolph said.
Randolph, along with lawyer friend Rhonda Lipkin, has organized the first of what is expected to be an annual picnic to reunite foster siblings living in Baltimore City.
She says the picnic, in sponsorship with the state Department of Human Resources, will help more than 200 children spend the day as a family.
“It will also make more people aware that this is National Foster Care Month,” Randolph said.
Randolph, who lived in foster care with an aunt until she “aged out” of the system at 21, is one of eight 2007 Baltimore Community Fellows who received $48,750 to work full time for 18 months implementing strategies to assist underserved communities.
“She is determined to help others in foster care make successful transitions to adulthood,” said Pamela King, director of the Baltimore Open Society Institute-Baltimore Community Fellows.
For more on the story, see
baltimoreexaminer.com.
drowley@baltimoreexaminer.com
