Congressional Foster Care Caucus

Here is a press release on U.S.Representative Cory Gardner joining the Congressional Caucus on Foster Care with my typical commentary:

WASHINGTON D.C. – Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) released the following statement after joining the newly created Congressional Caucus on Foster Care:

“Everyone deserves a chance to reach their full potential and become productive members of their communities. Our nation’s most vulnerable youth need strong advocates in Congress that can raise awareness of the challenges facing all foster youth and develop policies for improving child welfare. I believe that this caucus can help address some of those challenges.”

BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING FOSTER YOUTH:  Being Legally Kidnapped.


BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN DEVELOPING POLICIES: Admitting there is Medicaid fraud, false claims, generation of fraudulent documents, drugging, murder, suicide, rape, and torture in the nation's child welfare system.

ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON FOSTER CARE

With more than 424,000 children and older youth in the nation’s foster care system, the number of children who exit the foster care system without finding a permanent family has increased over the years by nearly 29,500. The experiences of youth transitioning out of the foster care system place them at a higher risk for unemployment, poor educational outcomes, health issues, early parenthood, long-term dependency on public assistance, increased rates of incarceration, and homelessness.

Is this an admission of culpability?  Is this Congressional Caucus admitting that the national philosophy hails from the "peculiar institution"?

Co-chaired by Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA), Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA), Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN), the newly created bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Care will work to protect and promote the welfare of all children in foster care and those who have “aged out” of the system. The Caucus will provide a forum for Members to discuss the challenges facing all foster youth and develop policy recommendations for improving child welfare outcomes in five focus areas: Safety; Permanency; Well Being; Educational Opportunities; and Youth, Family, and Community Engagement.

Add another area of focus:  Oversight.  Once again, these leaders have failed to admit the system is riddled with the unbridled mitigation of regulation which breeds defalcation and malfeasance.   


This committee must address Medicaid fraud, antitrust violations in contracts and the reason why children are entering the system in the first place, which is a good place to start to reduce the number of children in foster care.


What I find quite interesting is the fact these individuals hail from states with the worst track record in foster care.  I wonder where are the Maine and Florida Representatives?  I know where the Michigan Representative is.


Congressman Gardner is a freshman member in the U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado's 4th Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

213 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4676

All in all, I do commend these individuals for taking the first step in admitting the foster care system is not working.


I will be engaging and reporting on the process.