From The Mount Airy News:
Efforts to improve conditions for foster children and parents have resulted in special recognition for Rep. Sarah Stevens of Mount Airy, who serves Surry County in the N.C. General Assembly.
Stevens, a Republican who was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2008, received the Champion for Children Award Tuesday night from the Children’s Hope Alliance and Benchmarks, which is a child-welfare advocacy organization.
House Bill 669 passed both chambers unanimously, and would improve the care of foster children and allow foster parents to obtain liability insurance for the children under their care.
“Until we passed this bill, a foster child could not go on a vacation with his foster family or participate in sports,” Stevens explained Wednesday. Foster children also have been prohibited from other after-school functions, such as being a member of the band, or even holding sleepovers with friends.