The national Foster care system has been in desperate need of overhauling for years, and just as about every corner of the U.S. struggles to address the ongoing issues that plague the system, the U.S. House of Representatives has just passed a bipartisan legislative measure that would help retain and recruit much-needed and good foster care parents.
The bill, The Recruiting Families Using Data Act (H.R. 3058) which is cosponsored by Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D), would require states to have a plan in place for child welfare services allow for “development and implementation development and implementation of a family partnership plan to improve foster care placement stability, increase rates of kinship placements, and align the composition of foster and adoptive families with the needs of children in or entering foster care.
According to Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, who recently spoke to The Floridian about the need to “ keep the good foster care parents,” most of these foster parents stop fostering after two or three times.
Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick said that through her personal experience working with them, foster children were the most reliable and “best employees.”
Her experiences made the congresswoman come to the realization that these foster kids needed to be part of a stable family and home.
“We need to make sure that every child has access to a nuclear family,” said Cherfilus-McCormick.
In addition, the measure would require the state to “collect and report data” on foster families to develop and then implement better parenting practices.
“As a former social worker, I know how important it is to match at-risk children with a loving home. My bill leverages the expertise of the families and youth who know the system best to improve foster care for all,” said the bills sponsor, Congressman Dan Kildee (D). “I am thrilled my legislation has passed in the House of Representatives with support from Republicans and Democrats, and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to take this bill up as quickly as possible.”
The bill recently passed on a floor vote in the House of Representatives.
