John Kerry: “as we recognize May as National Foster Care Month, we should take a minute to think about what foster care means for…”

“as we recognize May as National Foster Care Month, we should take a minute to think about what foster care means for children in America. We currently have over 408,000 children in our foster care system due to abuse or neglect by their biological families, with 107,000 as eligible for adoption. Every year nearly 28,000 of these children age out of our foster care system with no place to call home. On average, foster children spend over 3 years in the system and around 16 percent languish in the foster care system for over 5 years. These numbers are a stark reminder that we must do more to connect children in our foster care system with a safe, loving, and permanent home. I have worked with my colleague Senator Grassley on a bipartisan bill that will provide supplemental funds to programs that directly impact children in our foster care system. The Families for Foster Youth Stamp Act will provide additional funding for the Court Improvement Program and the Adoption Opportunities Program by giving an easy option for individuals to pay a few cents more for their postage stamps if they choose to. By providing a boost in resources to the Court Improvement Program, states can enhance their capacity to serve children in the system, build upon best practices, and improve the quality of representation our children receive.…”