I never endorse a political candidate on Facebook, and always strive to remain bipartisan. But I have seen some recent Facebook posts saying very negative things about United States Senator Jon Husted, and I wanted to speak up on a personal level.
Ohio has two freshman U.S. Senators right now, and we need to give both of them a chance. It takes time to adjust to Washington D.C., and this is a particularly complicated year.
My hope is that we as foster care youth, alumni and ally advocates will be able to work with both Ohio Senators on policy that will benefit the nation. This is what we have done in the past; partnering with both Senator Sherrod Brown and Senator Rob Portman's offices on a regular basis during our annual trips to DC between 2013-2020.
Some things you might not know about former Lt. Governor Jon Husted:
1.) He started his life in a foster home before being adopted.
2.) He worked tirelessly on the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation.
3.) He and his wife deeply care about foster youth. This has been demonstrated in many ways, including their support of FosterHub's work to create transitional housing and life skills preparation for foster youth in Appalachian Ohio.
4.) In 2024, over 3,800 families used Ohio's Adoption and Foster Care portal, launched by Lt. Governor Jon Husted's InnovateOhio. This was double the number of annual inquiries prior to the creation of this fully online resource.
We don't make allies by attacking them. I care and understand the urgency when it comes to reaching our political officials - as a former foster youth and an advocate, I experience that sense of urgency as well.
5.) Below is a photo of U.S. Senator Jon Husted during a 2023 Foster Care Month Event, listening to one of our youth leaders share her insights. Look at the smile on his face as he is listening to her...
