NY1.com

  66º

You are not signed in  |  Sign in here  |  Help

You're viewing a lite version of NY1.com

Time Warner Cable customers: Sign in with your TWC ID for video access.

Get my TWC ID. | Get TWC service. | Read the FAQ.

05/10/2012 05:30 AM

Advocacy Group's Facebook Page Teaches About Foster Care System

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

An advocacy group is using Facebook to teach the public about some of the sad realities of our nation's foster care system. NY1's Adam Balkin filed this report.

There are lots of demoralizing facts related to foster care.

"At least 25 states are not meeting the federal standards for protecting children, keeping children safe. That's not doing anything fancy, just keeping children safe," said Marcia Robinson Lowry of Children's Rights.

To bring attention to the issues surrounding foster care throughout our nation, advocacy group Children's Rights is launching an interactive story on Facebook called "Trapped?: Fighting the Odds of U.S. Foster Care" during National Foster Care Month in May.

"It tells the story of two boys who are abused by their parents and both have to come in to foster care. One of them has a fortunate outcome and gets adopted by a nice family. Another child has an experience that unfortunately is all too typical for foster care. The interactive experience goes through that, gives options for people to ask questions about it and talk about what happens to too many people in foster care," Lowry said.

Children's Rights organizers decided to spread its important message on Facebook because they like the site's interactivity and potential to reach more people than a traditional print ad.

"The availability of social media these days is revolutionary, so we thought it was very important to educate people and educate them through a device they're familiar with, an interactive experience on Facebook," Lowry said.

Children's Rights say it hopes people will urge their politicians to focus attention on the problems and look for viable solutions after trying out "Trapped?"

The Trapped? section of the Children's Rights Facebook page launches on Monday.