Every Child Deserves a Loving Home

In the United States of America, every child deserves a loving family to call their own and a safe place to call home. Our foster care system plays an integral role in fulfilling this mission and connecting vulnerable children with families who are able and prepared to support their growth, health, and success. However, our foster care system also faces enormous challenges – from foster home shortages to low retention rates of foster families – that prevent vulnerable children from finding a caring home. To ensure that more children are paired with families, we need to implement policies that identify potential foster families, connect children with those families, encourage subsequent adoption, and reverse the alarming trend of foster home closures and declining foster retention rates.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), nearly 400,000 American children live within the foster care system – 117,000 of whom are waiting to be adopted. At the same time, Iowa alone has lost more than 200 licensed foster homes since 2019 and, nationwide, many foster parents forgo fostering after only one or two placements. This imbalanced combination of more children waiting to be fostered or adopted and fewer families participating in the foster system exacerbates the care crisis impacting rural communities and further diminishes the already small pool of foster families.

Compounding the challenges of the foster-home shortage, some states are falling short of their legal commitment to support foster children and identify foster families. Under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, any state that receives federal funding for foster-care services must establish a “diligent recruitment plan” to outline how they will find, recruit, and retain willing families to foster children. This approach promotes accountability to deliver positive foster-care outcomes and keep foster families active and able to receive multiple placements year after year. However, a recent report by HHS found that 34 states received a subpar rating in terms of recruiting and retaining qualified foster parents while the remaining sixteen – including Iowa – received strong marks for their work. Ultimately, we want 100% success across all fifty states.

That’s why I introduced the Recruiting Families Using Data Act, which recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would help states uphold and strengthen their diligent recruitment plans by improving their processes – with concrete facts and information – for identifying, recruiting, and retaining qualified foster homes. My bill also establishes family advisory boards to disseminate best practices, highlight financial and emotional obstacles facing foster families, and keep foster families – who are the beating heart of the foster system – at the center of systematic changes and improvements. By elevating the voices of foster families, we can better resolve kinks and enhance outcomes for foster children and the generous families who care for them.

A strong foster-care system is lifechanging for children who just need a chance in life. These kids – who are often overlooked – have talents and skills to offer to our country and the world that have yet to be seen. By reforming flaws within our foster system, we can unleash these gifts and support vulnerable children who deserve the opportunity to grow up with the support of a loving family.

We have tools and policies at our disposal that can make a real difference in the lives of the nearly 400,000 children in the foster system. By passing this legislation and getting it signed into law, I am confident that we can connect more foster children with loving families and make a lasting and positive impact on our country.

This op-ed was originally published in the Sioux City Journal on February 10, 2024.