Floor Statement by Senator Charles E. Grassley
National Foster Care Month
May 14, 2014
Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak today about the foster care system and the impact the system has on the lives of far too many children, young adults, and families.
Currently, more than 400,000 children across the United States are in the foster care system. From its inception, the foster care system was designed to be a safe and temporary place of transition for kids who have nowhere else to go. Of those currently calling the foster care system home, 79,000 will stay in foster care for more than three years. More than 23,400 will age out of foster care without finding an adoptive family or a permanent place to call home.
Furthermore, youth who age out of the foster care system experience unique struggles that extend beyond the usual anxieties of trying to establish a life after high school. In fact, only one quarter has earned a high school diploma or GED, while less than two percent finish college. Worse yet, more than 50 percent will experience homelessness, and nearly 30 percent will have spent time behind bars.
That is why we recognize May as National Foster Care Month. Senator Landrieu and I have introduced a resolution to shed light on the many young faces that seek a permanent home and family. We also set aside a moment to recognize the countless number of people that work tirelessly for youth in foster care.
Stability comes from a much larger community than just a family. Stability comes from the teacher that sees the student at the desk near the back of the classroom who needs a little extra help and guidance. Stability comes from the friends and neighbors who take it upon themselves to invite the new face in the neighborhood to join in a game of basketball or swimming. Stability comes from the social workers who work tirelessly to help resolve the issues at home foster youth face; or if necessary, they help find a permanent home that will offer warmth and happiness. And most importantly, stability comes from the families who are willing to take a child or group of children into their home, to provide a safe and nurturing environment so that they have a chance to grow and thrive.
I call upon my colleagues to support Senate Resolution #442 recognizing National Foster Care Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges of children in the foster care system, and encouraging Congress to implement policy to improve the lives of children in the foster care system. The resolution also recognizes foster youth throughout the United States for their courage and resilience as they move through their personal trials and challenges. We also seek to applaud the youth who have moved on from the foster care system but remain active to serve as advocates and role models for those who remain in the system.
However, while we seek to applaud and commend those who continue to be a beacon of hope for these youth, the resolution is also intended to reaffirm the need to continue to improve the outcomes for all children in the foster care system. Every child deserves the stability and certainty that a loving, permanent home and family can provide.
Congress has been working to improve the lives of all those touched by the foster care system. That has included providing support to vulnerable families, with the hope of safely keeping families intact while they work through difficult times. We have promoted policies that encourage reunification of families when they successfully address issues that make homes safe and nurturing for children. We have helped create incentives to promote adoption when reunification isn’t possible. For those who age out of the foster care system without a permanent place to call home, we have been working to make the transition to adulthood more certain.
That is why, in 2009, Senator Landrieu and I launched the bipartisan Senate Caucus on Foster Youth. The caucus works to provide an outlet for members and staff to provide educational opportunities in order to help shape meaningful policy that works to bring children and families together.
The caucus has created a gateway for grassroots coalitions of families, foster youth, child welfare advocates, court representatives, and social workers to locate policy makers who are actively fighting and supporting tools to improve the lives of all children and families. The caucus has created an avenue for all stakeholders to help identify barriers that block foster kids from finding a permanent, loving home either through adoption, guardianship or reunification with their birth family.
The caucus is currently offering a series of opportunities designed to introduce members and staff to the issue of child welfare financing. The meetings have been designed to provide a collegial environment to build a base of knowledge for those less familiar with the issue and to help those who have been working on the issue for many years.
So far this spring, we have had a chance to hear from specialists and experts about the early history of child welfare and how it has developed into the programs that we see today. We are studying how the current system is structured, how we can improve it, and how we can better incentivize states to find permanent placements for foster youth.
In the past, we have studied and acted to improve the educational stability of the students. There are numerous cases of children who move from school to school within a given year. Just as they have an opportunity to form a series of friendships, they are ushered on to another school to begin the process yet again. Beyond the problems of building meaningful relationships, many foster youth have to worry about how their credits transfer from one school to the next. Many students are required to take a class numerous times in multiple schools because of varying requirements. Often times, this creates a gap that extends the amount of time it takes a student to fulfill the requirements to complete school.
Another issue that comes up is sex trafficking. Youth in the foster care system can be susceptible to domestic sexual predators who offer them financial assistance and emotional bonds.
Just recently, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) rescued eighteen minors from forced prostitution around the time of the Superbowl. Of the 18 minors, three were from the foster care system. I sent a letter to the FBI to ask the agency to explain how underage victims are treated once they are rescued from forced prostitution. From my inquiry so far, it seems the FBI has taken positive steps, including making clear that those who are forced into prostitution are victims, not criminals. The FBI also has a coordinated effort that has recovered a number of juvenile victims. But it’s important to track what happens to victims after rescue. Are they getting the protections and services they need to stay safe? Or are they ending up back in dangerous situations? If they came from foster care, did the system fail to protect them?
The Senate Finance Committee approved a bipartisan bill in December to improve the foster care system. The bill seeks to protect foster youth, and to encourage officials to better prevent, identify and intervene when a child becomes a victim of trafficking.
Our caucus has taken a lead in educating the public about this issue. We heard from two incredibly brave survivors of trafficking who had beaten the odds, escaped “the life,” and are now working as mentors with other girls who have been trafficked or are at risk of being trafficked.
The caucus has raised a number of other important issues, and we have invited youth to share their personal experiences. They are the experts and we can learn from them.
I’m glad to report the caucus is gaining strong support from across party lines and regional areas of the country. I am glad that we have had 9 new members this year, including Senators Crapo, Scott, Kaine, Warner, Klobuchar, Inhofe, Wicker, Heitkamp and Johanns.
We will continue working to keep the national spotlight on the challenges confronting foster youth. Every child deserves the stability and certainty that a loving, permanent home and family can provide. I thank my colleagues for their support in this endeavor.
I yield the floor.