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Jack: I know this is a long email, but this issue is dear to my heart, so I hope you’ll hear me out.
KLEK 102.5 FM had me on their show earlier this month, and we had the chance to talk about my position on Abortion and the Foster Care System.
Host LaGanzie Kale asked me if telling a pregnant person that they can simply put the child up for adoption or into foster care if they don’t feel like they can parent the child is a viable solution to prevent abortions.
In my book, these are two different issues requiring a whole lot of nuance.
We have a strapped foster system running on fumes on one side –and on the other, people who often don’t have the resources to parent who are faced with an incredibly difficult decision that, in my opinion, the government shouldn’t be interfering in.
Again, this needs to be TWO very different conversations. I’m going to start with my own experience: Foster Care.
My husband Kevin and I served as foster parents for around 20 kids and teens here in Northwest Arkansas. (We’re no longer an open home because we’ve got ourselves a full house after adopting some of our boys out of the system 🏡.)
As we were part of that process, I saw just how many families were swimming upstream. These clunky systems make it a struggle, especially if someone doesn’t have an advocate to help them.
Kev and I fostered teenagers primarily, and many are adults now. We’ve had some of these conversations with them -- and they don’t appreciate being a part of a debate like this. Like, what is the implication of comments like, “Well, just put them in foster care,” or “They’ll just end up in foster care.”?
So anytime we’re advocating for something that diverts even MORE kids into this broken system, we need to take a beat and focus on improving these foster care services.
Now, switching gears to the second part of that talking point: Abortion.
While I know we’re never ALL going to agree on abortion, we should be able to agree that most abortions are due to unplanned pregnancies.
Let’s be clear: I also want to see abortion rates go down. So what can be done to prevent unplanned pregnancies, and how can we support people faced with that deeply personal decision?
This may seem like a no brainer, but we need to be providing three things:
In Arkansas, we are Number 1 in teen pregnancies. We have people who don’t know how someone becomes pregnant, and that’s a legitimate problem we can easily solve.
We also need to make things like paid leave, Universal Pre-K, healthcare, + other services more affordable and accessible for all so that when people are faced with an unplanned pregnancy, they have the support they need that will allow them to parent.
Sure, things like WIC, food stamps, and childcare assistance all exist, but to *access* those social safety nets, you need 4-5 days off work to get it all in place. It’s a lot of waiting in lines -- and if you’re a single mom with bills that are piling up, you’ll most likely have to bring your kids along, too. (Kids are not great at lines.)
If you want childcare assistance, you need a job to prove you have work. But who will watch your kid(s) while you work so you can prove you have a job? 🤪
I’ve helped some parents walk through these systems, and I’ve experienced some personally.
At the end of the day, I want us to focus on preventing unplanned pregnancies, and we know how to do that. We just need to get creative, love better, and provide resources to make our systems more easily accessible on the front side so that families *can* do well.
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I know that these are conversations best had one on one over a cup of coffee, but I’ve got to talk to a lot of Arkansans to win this race, and surveys and emails like this one are some of the best ways I can connect with a lot of people. Consider this survey a virtual coffee with me. ☕
Again, thanks for your time today. I’m really looking forward to reading your responses.
All my best,
Kelly
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