[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 167 (Friday, December 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S15227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FOSTER CARE INDEPENDENCE ACT

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to support the Foster 
Care Independence Act. I am a cosponsor of the foster care bill that 
was originally introduced in the Senate by our colleague, the late 
Senator John Chafee. Mr. President, this bill is an enormously 
important piece of legislation. It provides the means for States to 
support some of our most vulnerable children--teens who are facing the 
tenuous position of being dropped from foster care support for the 
simple reason that they are turning 18.
  For many young people, the transition to adulthood is an exciting 
time of newfound independence. These young people navigate this 
challenging time with the help and support of their parents and family, 
secure in the knowledge that a ``safety net'' awaits them at home.
  This momentous transition can be much more daunting, however, for the 
20,000 foster children who make the difficult shift from foster care to 
independence and adulthood. Research has shown that these children--who 
average four homes in the final 7 years of their foster care--face many 
challenges when their benefits end and they are left on their own at 
the age of 18.
  Today, there are more than 500,000 children in foster care throughout 
the United States--young people wrenched from the security of their 
homes by death, abuse, or other tragedy. For these children, foster 
parents offer the only support they know, and the abrupt end of care 
can make transition to adulthood all the more important. We are asking 
these teens to move out of their foster care and immediately become 
productive members of society--yet we forget that older foster kids 
face the same growing pains faced by teens in more stable homes. They 
are struggling with growing up, struggling with establishing their 
independence, and struggling to mature and develop their personal 
identity. But this struggle is made exponentially more difficult when 
the teens must also face the struggle of housing, poverty, and 
unemployment.
  In 1986, Congress created the Independent Living Program to address 
the transitional needs of foster children as they reach the age when 
they are asked to live independently. Studies of teens who are forced 
to abruptly leave foster care have found that they have a significantly 
higher-than-normal rate of school dropouts, out-of-wedlock births, 
homelessness, health and mental health problems, poverty, and 
unemployment. One 1998 study of former foster care youth by researchers 
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that more than 40 percent 
of interviewed youth had been homeless, incarcerated, or had received 
public assistance since leaving State care. This same study found that 
during the 12- to 18-month period after leaving care, 44 percent of 
former care youths had difficulty obtaining medical care due to a lack 
of medical insurance and the high cost of care.
  These foster children deserve a safe, stable, and nurturing 
environment in order for them to become productive, self-sufficient 
members of society. The Foster Care Independence Act will expand 
Independent Living Program services to provide this support for foster 
children who are 18 to 21 years old and are still learning valuable 
life skills. This bill will enable teens between the ages of 18 and 21 
to successfully shift from foster families into independent adulthood. 
This bill will help teens during this important transition by doubling 
Independent Living Program funding and expanding access to Medicaid 
health care and mental health services through their 21st birthday.
  Foster children frequently lack a sense of permanency and the skills 
that are essential to becoming self-reliant and productive adults. 
Through State-administered Independent Living Programs, foster children 
will be able to obtain mentoring and personal support. The expanded 
program will assist older foster care adolescents in obtaining a high 
school diploma and/or secondary education; career exploration; and 
preventative health services. They may also use this program to develop 
vital daily living skills such as budgeting, locating and maintaining 
housing, and financial planning.
  We expect much of our youth because they are the future of our 
Nation. In turn, we must be willing to give them the support they need 
to learn, grow, and transition to productive and stable adult lives. 
The Foster Care Independence Act provides these crucial services for 
America's older foster children. As Congress works to conclude the 
first session of the 106th Congress, it is essential that the Senate 
echo the broad, bipartisan support given to this bill by the U.S. House 
of Representatives--which recently passed a companion bill by a vote of 
380-67--and give these older foster children the stability they 
deserve.
  Mr. President, we have all heard the old adage ``an ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound a cure.'' Surely this rings true for 
helping our older foster children in their transition to adulthood. I 
can think of no better tribute to Senator Chafee, in tribute to his 
memory and to his life's work as an advocate of America's children, to 
name this bill in honor of him. And for this reason I rise today in 
support of the bill and I ask my colleagues to vote for this 
tremendously important piece of legislation.

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