News Release
Congress Moves to Improve Lives of Nation’s Foster Children and Youth
September 23, 2008
Contact:
Kathi M. Crowe, MSW, LICSW
Executive Director
National Foster Care Coalition
kcrowe@nationalfostercare.org
202.280.2039
Washington, DC – Last night, Congress passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act. Upon being signed into law by President Bush, this legislation will be the most comprehensive reform of the foster care system in more than 10 years, and will greatly improve the lives and futures of children and youth in foster care.
There are currently more than 500,000 children and youth in foster care in the United States, 127,000 of whom are free for adoption. The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act will help many of these children move from foster care quickly and safely into permanent, loving families by supporting adoption activities by state child welfare agencies and by assisting grandparents and other relatives who become permanent guardians of children who would otherwise remain in foster care.
The National Foster Care Coalition reports that the bill addresses two major issues that currently impact children and youth in foster care on a daily basis: the frequent placement of siblings into separate foster homes; and the disruption of education that occurs when children are moved from home to home and consequently, from school to school. This legislation will improve the quality of life for children by prioritizing that siblings are placed together and that education stability is addressed.
The Act also assists older youth in foster care by extending their eligibility to receive federal foster care payments beyond the age of eighteen. States will now have the option of extending foster care to youth to ages 19, 20 or 21. Recent research conducted by Mark Courtney at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, confirmed that outcomes for youth who remain in foster care until age 21 were much better than those for youth who aged out of the foster care system at age 18. And the legislation will ensure that Native American tribes can directly access federal foster care funds, which will help children and families receive the supports and services they need in their own communities.
Kathi M. Crowe, executive director of the National Foster Care Coalition, praised members of Congress. "We saw tremendous bipartisan and bicameral leadership in Congress in moving this legislation forward. There was genuine interest and deep commitment in both the House and the Senate in developing legislation that would make a real difference in the lives of foster children."
The National Foster Care Coalition is a unique partnership of organizations and individuals, dedicated to building public and political will to improve the lives of children, youth, and young adults in and from foster care. Coalition members advocate on behalf of children, youth and families involved with the foster care system, support local, regional, and national foster care initiatives, offer significant levels of training and technical assistance, and provide education and information about foster care to decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels.
