On any given day, there are nearly 500,000 American children living in foster care system, with about 130,000 of them waiting to be adopted. As Chairman of the Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the foster care system, I have worked to improve the lives of foster children, to strengthen families, and prevent abuse and neglect. In 2008, my colleagues and I passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893), marking the most significant reform of America’s child welfare system in more than a decade.
The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act provides major reforms in the nation’s child welfare system. Key provisions in the legislation include:
- Providing financial support to relatives - generally grandparents, aunts and uncles - who serve as guardians to children who are unable to live with their parents;
- Incentivizing states to continue providing for foster children who age out of the foster care system by providing federal matching funds for youth up to age 21;
- Allowing more Native American children to receive foster care in their own communities by providing Tribes with the same direct access to federal funding for foster care and adoption services that states currently receive; and
- Reauthorizing and improving the Adoption Incentives program to allow more families to receive adoption assistance, particularly for adoption of older children and children with special needs.
It is critical that we do more to keep children out of the foster care system by creating a support system for young families. In 2009, I introduced the Early Support for Families Act—legislation similar to what was included in the new health reform law—which would fund home visitation programs that provide instruction and services to families in their homes. These programs are designed to enhance the well-being and development of young children by providing: information on child health, development, and care; parental support and training; and referral to other services. Visits typically begin during pregnancy or shortly after a child’s birth and may last until a child is age four. Home visits are conducted by nurses, social workers, other professionals or paraprofessionals. Numerous studies have concluded that early home visitation programs improve outcomes for children and families in a variety of ways. For more information on home visitation programs in Washington State, please visit http://www.ccf.wa.gov/category/grant-type/evidence-based-home-visitation.
I will continue to work to improve the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable children, keeping them out of the child welfare system when possible, and helping to make sure they receive the care they need when they cannot safely remain with their biological families. I will always keep in mind the words and experiences of young people like Anthony Reeves, a former foster child in Georgia, who wrote something that defines our call to action: “Life is tough enough when transitioning out of care, and it is even tougher if you don’t have the support that you need from people who care about you, or if you don’t have resources and skills packed along with the rest of your belongings as you are shown out the door.” Anthony’s words remind us that government, and ultimately society, acts as the legal guardian for foster children. These are our children and we must do our best find them loving homes and to give them the skills to become successful adults.
Related Press Releases and Speeches
• Rep. McDermott’s Foster Care Legislation Signed Into Law
I will continue to work to improve the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable children, keeping them out of the child welfare system when possible, and helping to make sure they receive the care they need when they cannot safely remain with their biological families. I will always keep in mind the words and experiences of young people like Anthony Reeves, a former foster child in Georgia, who wrote something that defines our call to action: “Life is tough enough when transitioning out of care, and it is even tougher if you don’t have the support that you need from people who care about you, or if you don’t have resources and skills packed along with the rest of your belongings as you are shown out the door.” Anthony’s words remind us that government, and ultimately society, acts as the legal guardian for foster children. These are our children and we must do our best find them loving homes and to give them the skills to become successful adults.
Related Press Releases and Speeches
• Rep. McDermott’s Foster Care Legislation Signed Into Law
