NEWS: Foster Youth System Reform Legislation Passes Final Committee of Referral in the Alaska House
April 13, 2015
JUNEAU – Today, the House Judiciary Committee passed out House Bill 27 sponsored by Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage). The bill makes significant reforms to the foster youth system in Alaska and includes provisions intended to increase the number of available foster parents.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Money Losing Rockets, State Election Guide Attack Ads, & Neglected Children Who Aren’t “Interesting” Enough News
February 16, 2015
Only in Juneau could you have a $3.5 billion deficit, while some who view themselves as “fiscal conservatives” claim we should keep running a money-losing rocket business that sits idle seven days a week most weeks of every year. Here’s the difficult thing: you could fire every state employee, every trooper, every social worker and, well, everyone, and only cover roughly half of the deficit. We have to be smart about our budget, and cut things that are not smart. Unwise spending of finite state funds means we will not be able to afford the things that create educational opportunity, protect children from neglect and abuse, and protect the economy from a sea of unemployed people.
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News: Foster Youth Jail, Homeless, Education Numbers: A Call for Attention
December 10, 2014
Anchorage – Today, two former foster youth, Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) and foster care advocate Amanda Metivier, released sobering numbers for the growing number of Alaska youth in foster care. They are also calling for attention to the over 2,400 foster youth for which the state is the legal guardian.
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News: $20,000 Donated To Get Laptops To Help Alaska’s Growing Foster Youth Population
October 30, 2014
Anchorage-Today Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) announced a major donation to the “Laptops for Foster Youth” effort. The goal is to get needed laptop computers to Alaska’s growing number of foster youth. A few years ago there were roughly 1,700 foster youth in Alaska. Today there are approximately 2,200 foster youth in the state.
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NEWS: Holiday Drive: Laptops for Foster Youth
December 17, 2013
Improving One Life at a Time
(ANCHORAGE) – Today, Representative Les Gara and Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA) are launching the Laptops for Foster Youth Holiday Drive.
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