Please join Congressman Jim Langevin on September 23, 2014, at 11:00 am in 210 Cannon for an important briefing on pathways to permanency for youth in foster care. Children who enter the system after the age of 14 are much more likely to age out of foster care than be adopted, leaving too many without a legal family once they exit the custody of the state. These children, already at a disadvantage, end up with no support network to which they can turn in times of crisis. Failure to secure permanent families for youth in foster care can result in substantial societal and governmental costs. A 2006 Children’s Bureaus study found that “approximately $65,422 to $126,825 is saved for every child who is adopted rather than placed in long-term foster care.” Investing in these services will produce long-term savings to our system and a better quality of life for our nation’s foster youth. This briefing will feature a broad array of experts on the subject:
  • Nicole Dobbins, Voice for Adoption  – adoption trends, policy opportunities and challenges
  • MaryLee Allen, Children’s Defense Fund – kinship trends, policy opportunities & challenges
  • Christine Calpin, Casey Family Programs – insights on permanency outcomes from demonstration programs; highlights of CFP reunification work
  • Rob Geen, Annie E. Casey Foundation – barriers and opportunities to permanency through the lens of child welfare financing, policy opportunities & challenges
  • John Neubauer, Rhode Island KidsCount and state partner to SPARC – a view of permanency from the state perspective, highlights of permanency progress & challenges in Rhode Island
  • Lexie Gruber, First Focus & Alumni Perspective  – insights from the perspective of a young person with direct experience in foster care
Please contact Sam Morgante at sam.morgante@mail.house.gov with any questions.