Foster care is severely flawed. During National Adoption Month in November, let’s talk about how to fix it

For the fourth time, a 12-year-old boy from Nebraska packs up his belongings and prepares to move in with his new adoptive family with hopes that this time, it will be permanent. In Arizona, a 16-year-old girl in foster care lies in bed at night wondering if she’ll ever find an adoptive family before aging out of the foster care system on her 21st birthday, and what her options will be if she doesn’t. A 14-year-old high school freshman in New York under the supervision of child welfare services starts to find more comradery with his local gang affiliates than with his football teammates. These are all tragic, real-life stories unfolding across America right now due to the nation’s overly stressed and struggling foster care system.    

Every year, a staggering number of children age out of the system, facing a multitude of challenges that can affect not only their lives but also society at large. The National Foster Youth Institute highlights a deeply concerning statistic that approximately 60 percent of all child sex trafficking victims have histories in the child welfare system. Furthermore, the Juvenile Law Center reports that 90 percent of youth with five or more foster placements will enter juvenile detention, which can significantly harm their future success. These statistics are alarming, shedding light on the systemic failures that place vulnerable children at risk. We cannot forget that the children in foster care are not there because of any fault of their own.    

It’s time we stand up and call for necessary reforms to fix the system and make it work better for the 19,000 children who ‘age out’ of foster care every year and enter adulthood in a severe disadvantage. Adoption is not front of mind for most Americans focused on their day-to-day commitments. But it should be, considering the positive change it can have in the lives of children, the families that open their homes and hearts to children in need of a forever home, and the communities that are strengthened from this process.    

Improving the system benefits all involved. Here is a glimpse of what we can do:    

Strengthen family preservation services to keep families intact and make foster care a true last resort.    

One of the first steps in reform should be to strengthen family preservation services. By providing families with the support and resources they need to address the underlying issues leading to child removal, we can prevent unnecessary separations. This approach not only keeps families intact but also reduces the burden on the foster care system.   

Improve funding for comprehensive services within the foster care system and for youth transitioning out of the foster care system. 

The foster care system in the United States offers critical services that are essential for supporting children in the system, such as health care, education, counseling and therapeutic services. These vital services are helpful in addressing the physical, emotional and developmental needs of children, preparing them for reunification with their families or for adoption if reunification is not possible. Yet, access to these services evaporates quickly following a child’s exit out of foster care. Currently, federal funding for post foster care services is far too scarce. We must call on our elected representatives to support increased support of these essential resources.   

Enhance recruitment and match quality of children and guardians.     

When reunification is not possible, increasing the number of qualified adults in the pool of prospective adoptive parents and ensuring children/guardian matches are highly compatible will be the most impactful way to transform our system for the better. We need to adopt modern solutions and support organizations that transform the adoption landscape to give youth the best chance of matching with loving, compatible and permanent families. We need to spread awareness of the power of adoption and educate policymakers on the need for the system to embrace modern solutions to revitalize our foster care infrastructure.   

The three examples of children moving in a broken system are numerous. The harsh reality is, there are tens of thousands of children across the United States living similar experiences at this very moment. It does not have to be this way. The recommendations given are not a silver bullet, but a clarion call to begin a dialogue and energize a renewed focus on improving a broken system. Let’s shine a light on this important topic and take action to repair our broken foster-care system.   

Don Bacon represents Nebraska’s 2nd District. He is co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.