[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 24, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4513-H4514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1100
                      NATIONAL FOSTER YOUTH MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Bass) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, May is the month when people come together 
across the country to acknowledge the half million young people in the 
Nation's child welfare system. This is National Foster Youth Month.
  The child welfare system is designed to protect children whose 
parents or caretakers have abused or neglected them.
  I am proud to say that Members of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus 
on Foster Youth are hosting over 100 young adults from 98 different 
congressional districts from the National Foster Youth Institute. I 
thank all of the Members of Congress who are allowing a young adult to 
shadow them this morning. They are here today on the Hill shadowing 
Members of Congress to share their stories, their challenges, their 
successes, and to help us understand how to improve the child welfare 
system.

[[Page H4514]]

  On Monday evening, the National Foster Youth Institute had a forum in 
which we were able to hear from many of the youth. They raised several 
issues. The young adults have already accomplished a lot in their life, 
and many are here to learn about the Capitol, their Members of 
Congress, the legislative process, but also to teach us.
  Here are several of the issues that the young folks raised on Monday:
  One individual raised the challenge of being raised in the system and 
being separated from his siblings. He said that he had six siblings, 
and even had a twin. It was very sad and upsetting to him when his twin 
was sent to one city and he had to live in another city. It took him 
many months to reestablish a relationship with his siblings.
  Another individual told us about her parents having a drug problem. 
She didn't understand why she was removed and why her parents weren't 
helped. In fact, she felt as though the court system used her as 
leverage over her parents in a way, to tell her parents that they 
should sober up if they wanted to retain custody. She then told us that 
the result was both of her parents passed away. She believed that they 
passed away from their addiction, and that one of the things that made 
their addiction worse was the fact that she had to be removed from the 
parents.
  Another individual raised the issue of sex trafficking. We have been 
discussing legislation in the House. We have passed several bills 
related to sex trafficking. But one of the things that many Members of 
Congress have grown to be aware of over the last few years is that a 
large percentage of underage girls, and some boys, who get caught up in 
sex trafficking are actually foster youth that have fallen through the 
cracks.
  Any time a foster youth falls through the cracks, the government is 
responsible. When we remove children from their parents, we, meaning 
the government, become the parents and we are responsible for them. So 
we are working on legislation to improve that.
  Another individual raised the issue that she was adopted, but the 
adoption didn't work out. She asked: Why don't social workers follow up 
after a child has been adopted, just to make sure that everything is 
okay? That adoption didn't work out, and she had a lot of challenges 
afterwards.
  Another individual told us, in no uncertain terms, that, although 
many young people come to the Capitol and volunteer in internships, 
foster youth would love to be here and participate in internships as 
well, but when foster youth turn 18 and become an adult, we--
essentially meaning the government again--wash our hands of them and 
put them out on the street. How can a young person volunteer? They need 
to be paid. She raised the issue that we should have interns at the 
Capitol, but they should be paid.
  Those were very important issues and they all raise areas of policy 
that need to be addressed.
  I am very honored and fortunate to have three outstanding young 
individuals with me. I want to tell you about them.
  Doniesha Thomas is from Los Angeles. She was in foster care for 20 
years. She aged out of the system, but during the time she was in 
foster care, she was moved seven different times.
  She grew up in Los Angeles. She was in a foster home with her sister 
and brother. She was fortunate that her siblings were able to be kept 
together. She described her experience in the foster home wasn't the 
best. She said that, sadly, her foster mother was abusive mentally, 
physically, and emotionally.
  She eventually left the home and then had to move from place to 
place, but she persevered and is currently a college student at Los 
Angeles Trade Tech. She is majoring in the administration of justice 
and minoring in paralegal studies. It is her dream to be a probation 
officer for juveniles. She also hopes to one day open up a group home 
so that, growing up in the system and knowing what the problems are, 
she can start a program where she addresses those problems.
  The second individual, Leonardo Jimenez, is 21 years old. He is also 
from Los Angeles. He was recently aged out of foster care. He decided 
to participate in the program because, as he gets older, he wants to 
learn to be a part in helping foster youth in his community.
  The last individual is Michael Rogalski. He is from Ohio. He was in 
foster care for 5 years and had 13 different placements, but he is 
succeeding in Ohio, working in the area of child support.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that we remember the foster youth in our country 
this month.

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