Country Singer Jimmy Wayne Calls On Governor LePage To Do More For Foster Kids

Country singer and songwriter Jimmy Wayne was the keynote speaker this week during the Maine Affordable Housing Conference at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Wayne, who grew up in foster care in North Carolina, called on Governor LePage to do more to help Maine's foster children.

He suggested that a policy change to allow foster children to remain in the system until age 21.

Wayne had been told that the governor believes that since he was able to get himself out of poverty, that others should do the same. Wayne responded by saying, 'Well, not necessarily, pal.' Adding, 'because you didn't get there by yourself. None of us got hee by ourselves. You didn't become the governor by yourself, so you have to help these people, and you have to help the kids for sure.'

Governor LePage had not replied to Wayne's comments as of Tuesday afternoon.

Jimmy Wayne has had two top ten Billboard Country hits and one number one song.

He also in 2010 walked from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness about homeless and teens aging out of the foster care system.

According to Wayne, 30,000 children nationwide age out of the system annually. In Maine, 78 children aged out of the system in the 2014-15 fiscal year.