Political Quotes

“Madam President, probably a lot of my colleagues know I have had a quarter-century interest in legislation dealing with foster care and the foster care system. This is National Adoption Month, and while recent data from the Department of Health and Human Services show improvements for kids in foster care, it is clear that there is still work to be done. In 2018, the average length of stay in foster care increased to over 19 months. We need to take that statistic as movement in the wrong direction. Less than half of the kids who exited foster care were reunited with their parents. Our goal ought to be to reunite them with their parents when it isn't harmful to the kids, but what I have also learned over the last 25 years from talking to kids who are in foster care, being shunted from home to home, school to school in the same school year--I have heard from them, ``I would like to have a mom and dad,'' and ``I would like to have a permanent home.'' I have taken that to heart, and legislation that I have worked on helps with that issue. All children deserve a permanent home, and they deserve caring, consistent adults to nurture and guide them. As long as I serve in Congress, I will continue to work toward that goal. Also, during this month of November, National Adoption Month, I hope people will take a special concern about kids who are in foster care. I yield the floor. ____________________”