Subject: MUST READ: Lebanon Daily News Op-ed from Ann Lewis: Children's issues close to Hillary Clinton's heart
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*Lebanon Daily News: Children's issues close to Hillary Clinton's heart
<http://www.ldnews.com/opinion/ci_27405337/childrens-issues-close-hillary-clintons-heart>*

By Ann F. Lewis

January 27, 2015 6:24 p.m. EDT

What do Hillary Clinton, former Republican Whip Tom DeLay, and the founder
of Wendy's have in common? Hint: It isn't politics.

This unusual coalition worked together to make a better life for children
in orphanages and foster care; work that has made a real difference for
tens of thousands of young people.

Orphans and foster care children are not a high-powered political group in
Washington. There were no lobbyists; no one demanding Clinton take this on.
I was working in the White House at the time, so I got to watch up close,
but otherwise I might never have known.

So why did she do it? Because Clinton believed it was the right thing to do.

From working at the Children's Defense Fund right after law school to her
efforts to expand early learning for children today, Hillary Clinton has
worked throughout her adult life — in and out of public office — to improve
the lives of children. Her work on behalf of orphans and foster care
children is not an exception, but an important example.

As First Lady, Clinton made adoption and foster care one of her priorities.
She worked across the partisan aisle, with two unlikely partners: former
Republican Minority Whip Tom Delay of Texas and business leader Dave Thomas
of Wendy's, a lifelong Republican.

Together, they held events at the White House to raise awareness, and built
support for legislation that would encourage adoptions, provide more aid
for foster familie, and help foster children find permanent, safe, loving
homes.

The first piece of legislation was the Adoption and Safe Families Act of
1997, which provided support and services for adoptive families and
increased foster adoptions by 64 percent by 2002. The Washington Post
called the law "the most significant change in federal child-protection
policy in almost two decades."

The second piece of legislation, the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999,
was focused on children who "age out" of the foster care system when they
turn 18. Too often, these children leave their foster home with only a
green plastic bag of their belongings — and too little hope. The purpose of
this legislation was to make the transition easier for these kids and to
give them, as President Bill Clinton said, "the tools they need to make the
most of their lives." Access to health-care, education, housing assistance
and counseling services are just some of the tools this law provided.

Clinton introduced legislation in the Senate to help interested adults
learn more about adoption. She was also a member of the Congressional
Coalition on Adoption and partnered with Democrats and Republicans alike to
remove barriers to adoption and support the adoption of children in foster
care.

At the State Department, Clinton brought the issue to the world stage. She
appointed the first ever special adviser on international children's issues
and worked with other countries to improve foster care programs worldwide.

Adoption and foster care are not likely to be an issue in any political
campaign. But they're important to Hillary Clinton. That is what her life
has been about: building coalitions, working with partners, doing whatever
it takes to make a real difference on issues that make a real difference in
people's lives — beginning with the very youngest among us.

That's the Hillary Clinton I know.

*Lewis served as White House director of communications from 1997-2000.*