The presidential election is just under a year away. I know it feels like it should be closer since the candidates already started campaigning a year ago. This is a great time to make our voices and needs heard.

Start a letter writing campaign to each of the candidates. Tell them what foster and adoptive parents need. It may not make a difference immediately, but you never know, one candidate may make it a campaign issue if enough of us speak up.

You can tell your personal story, but don’t make it all about your story. Use it to make a point as to what services are needed, the shortage of foster homes, the lack of post adoption support, the need for good mental health providers, the need for a more comprehensive foster parent bill of rights, the need for increase in foster home subsidy payments and any other services or needs for foster and adoptive parents and the children they care for. Be passionate but factual. Tell how the lack of services affects our kids.

Following is a list of the candidates, along with their contact information. They are listed in alphabetical order so no preference is given to one candidate or party.

Joe Biden
Biden for President, Inc.
P.O. Box 438
Wilmington, DE 19899
(302) 574-2008

Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton for President
4420 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
Phone: 703-469-2008
Fax: 703-962-8600

Chris Dodd
Chris Dodd for President
PO Box 51882
Washington, DC 20091
Phone (DC): (202) 737-DODD (3633)
Phone (CT): (860) 244-2008

John Edwards
John Edwards for President,
410 Market Street, Suite 400,
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
Phone: (919) 636-3131

Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel for President
P.O. Box 948
Arlington, VA 22216-0948
Office: 703-243-8303

Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee, Inc.
295 Greenwich St, #371
New York, NY 10007
212-835-9449

Mike Huckabee
Huckabee for President, Inc.
P.O. Box 2008
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
501-324-2008

Duncan Hunter
Hunter For President, Inc.
9340 Fuerte Drive
Suite 302
La Mesa, CA 91941
Phone: (619)463-3896

Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes for President
P.O. Box 50597
Provo, UT 84605-0597
800-727-6142

Mike Kucinich
Kucinich for President 2008
11808 Lorain Ave
Cleveland, OH 44111
1-877-41-DENNIS

John McCain
John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
(703) 418-2008

Barack Obama
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680
(866) 675-2008

Ron Paul
Ron Paul 2008
3461 Washington Blvd., Suite 200
Arlington, VA 22201
703-248-9115

Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson for President
111 Lomas Blvd. NW
Suite 200
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 828-2455

Mitt Romney
Romney for President, Inc.
P.O. Box 55239
Boston, MA 02205-5239
Phone: (857) 288-6400

Tom Tancredo
Tancredo08
501 Church St Ste 212
Vienna, VA 22180
(703)255-9898

Fred Thompson
Friends of Fred Thompson, Inc.
P.O. Box 128349
Nashville, TN 37212-8349

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