FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2024
CONTACT
J. Robertson, Public Affairs Director
james@opportunityarkansas.org
OPPORTUNITY ARKANSAS RELEASES NEW VIDEO: ‘THE MCGRATH FAMILY’
LITTLE ROCK, AR – Today, Opportunity Arkansas Foundation (OA) released “The McGrath Family,” a video featuring the story of Will and Emma McGrath of Little Rock and their journey as Arkansas foster parents.
In the video, the McGraths share their experience becoming foster parents in Arkansas, and how the critical need for foster families in the state placed a calling on them to serve. Their story highlights the importance of family reunification and how the foster care system can support family integrity.
This video is the latest in a series of videos by Opportunity Arkansas that highlight Arkansans who are helping solve generational problems in the state. It is the first video the organization has released on the child welfare system.
“Broken families affect all of us—every taxpayer, every community, every Arkansan. Thank God for families like the McGraths who, even as a young married couple, have devoted their lives helping serve their neighbors,” Opportunity Arkansas Founder and CEO Nic Horton said.
“Foster care should be a last resort and reunification of families should always be the ultimate goal. But when kids are in danger, they need safe, loving families like the McGraths to care for them. Arkansas has made notable progress reducing barriers that make it more difficult to foster in the state, but there’s more work to do. We hope their story will raise awareness about the need for more foster parents and the rewards it brings so we can see more families reunited and restored in every corner of Arkansas.”
The McGrath video is one of Opportunity Arkansas’s contributions to the strategic “ground game” effort of the Every Child Arkansas (ECA) coalition to raise awareness about the foster parent shortage and increase recruitment. OA is an engaged and active participant of the ECA coalition.
Opportunity Arkansas is also advocating for commonsense solutions to protect families and reduce barriers for foster families, as outlined in the organization’s Roadmap to Opportunity 2025, to make it easier for families like the McGraths to serve their neighbors.
The video can be viewed here on Opportunity Arkansas’s YouTube channel.
For meetings, bookings, or interviews, contact J. Robertson via email at james@opportunityarkansas.org.
About Opportunity Arkansas Foundation
Opportunity Arkansas Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to renew the Land of Opportunity by simplifying government and solving generational problems for the next generation. OA stands ready to partner with state policymakers who share these goals. To learn more, visit www.OpportunityArkansas.org.