November 29, 2021
Senate Information Office: 501-682-5954
Legislators and other elected officials are gathering gifts for children in state custody, which they will present during a “Christmas in the Capitol” celebration at noon on December 6 in the Old Supreme Court Room of the State Capitol.
Senator Missy Irvin of Mountain View, along with her mother-in-law, Mollie Irvin, came up with the idea in 2015, when Senator Irvin chaired the Senate Committee on Children and Youth. She brought in officials from the Department of Human Services, the state Youth Services Division and the Division of Children and Family Services. She also recruited volunteers from The Call, a family advocacy group.
“We try to give a wrapped gift to each youth, and if possible gifts for every facility,” Irvin said. “This will be the first Christmas away from home for many of the kids in foster care, so it’s a very emotional season.”
“The youths in juvenile facilities are vulnerable because they are so often overlooked when they are in confinement. As much as anyone, they need to know the love of Christmas, and because they are in our care and custody we all should think of them as our children,” Irvin said.
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