Issue Position: Child Welfare

Issue Position

The welfare of our children is our prime responsibility. Kids in vulnerable situations, from foster care to homeless youth to the juvenile justice system, need vocal advocates and champions to ensure that they too have every opportunity to succeed in school and their future careers.

Foster Care
As a former foster parent, Noel understands firsthand the trials and triumphs that come with being part of a foster family. At a time when our state lacks enough foster families to meet the demand, we as a state need to step up to provide the tools, support, and resources these families need to help foster kids thrive.

Vulnerable Youth
We must promote the well-being of all youth, taking extra care to our vulnerable youth populations. It is critical that we fund social services that focus on young people and provide them with the resources they need to succeed and live healthy lives. LGBTQ+ kids are over-represented in state child welfare systems, particularly foster care, because of strife at home and the lack of acceptance of a child's sexual orientation or identity. Many of our kids in foster care and the juvenile justice system exit into homelessness, where they become incredibly vulnerable to those who would do them harm.

Juvenile Justice
Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes those mistakes can land children and youth in our juvenile justice system. I am committed to ensuring that the kids who find themselves in trouble have every opportunity for rehabilitation and successful re-entry into society. Additionally, I believe we need to focus on ending the stark disparities faced by youth of color in our justice system and will work tirelessly to reform our system to give all kids a fair shot at a future.

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