U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill to help families with the challenges they face when children are temporarily put into foster care.
Moore and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) crossed party lines to introduce the Advocates for Families Act. The bill aims to reduce trauma and instability in foster care situations and ensure that children can be brought back into their homes in a timely manner.
"More than 600,000 children each year enter the United States Foster Care System, and it's vital that these children and their families have legal guidance during this process," said Moore. "This legislation will improve negotiations between families and the system, streamline and expedite the process, reduce stress on foster children, parents, and families, and save taxpayer dollars by decreasing the reliance on federal funding."
The Family Forward Project helped with research in the development of the bill to identify families' needs.
"This law will permit families to engage with an advocate at all levels of state child welfare involvement to facilitate better outcomes for children and families," the group said in a statement. "Family Forward's national outreach and participation of more than 19,000 families look forward to expanding their ability to reduce the need for foster care and build better, stronger families with the passage of this law."
"Every family deserves support when navigating through the complex and stressful child welfare system," said Wild. "This bipartisan legislation would close lengthy and expensive loopholes, provide critical legal assistance to individuals wishing to exercise their rights, and most importantly, reduce the stress and trauma felt by the hundreds of thousands of children who must navigate this system every year. I'm proud to support any legislation that prioritizes the well-being of the most vulnerable among us, and I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in advocating for its swift passage."
*It should be noted that the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) reports that only 186,602 children entered foster care in fiscal year 2022.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning or become a member to gain access to exclusive content and 1819 News merch.
