Congressmember, Karen Bass – Working to Reform Foster Care (September 2014)

On Wednesday, September 3rd, Everychild Foundation members and friends gathered in the home of Leslie and Bill Elkus to hear Congressmember, Karen Bass, Co-Chair, Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, discuss the new national movement to reform our nation’s broken foster care system.

“Every day, nearly a half-million children and youth depend on foster care in America – through no fault of their own,” says Bass. “It is our responsibility to make sure that our children have every opportunity to become productive citizens. But unfortunately, a disproportionate number of foster care youth end up homeless and in the juvenile-justice system.”

While Speaker in California, Bass championed a bill that extended the foster care emancipation age to 21 – helping youth continue to be supported during crucial years of development. Now in the U.S. House of Representatives, she introduced two bills honoring and assisting foster youth. First a Congressional Resolution Recognizing May as National Foster Care Month, honoring foster youth and parents. Second, H.R.2012 Foster Care Mentoring Act focused on connecting foster care youth with responsible, caring adults.

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