Gwen Moore Commemorates National Foster Care Month
Washington, DC,
May 22, 2012
Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released the following statement acknowledging National Foster Care Month which is recognized during the month of May.
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams or Staci Cox (202) 225- 4572 Gwen Moore Commemorates National Foster Care Month Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released the following statement acknowledging National Foster Care Month which is recognized during the month of May: “National Foster Care Month is a time to reflect on how to improve the well-being of more than 400,000 children and youth who are currently in the foster care system. “Removing a child from a home and placing him or her in foster care can be a serious and traumatic event in the child’s life. For over a decade, there has been strong bipartisan support for initiatives that prevent unnecessary removals and incentivize solutions that keep families together when possible. However, the majority of federal dollars are still spent towards the administrative costs of running the system, and a lot more still needs to be done. “In February, I introduced H.R. 3873, the Enhancing the Quality of Parental Representation Act of 2012. This bill would take important steps towards ensuring that parents have access to legal representation at all stages of a child welfare case. When the interest of a child and a family is at stake, it is important that all parties have the ability to be effectively heard in court. “High-quality counsel helps parents navigate necessary services to avoid child placement, increase the chance of family reunification later down the road and allows parents to have someone who is ‘on their side.’ Several state initiatives have seen tremendous success when providing legal counsel to parents. Expanding these types of services across the country is a very important investment in the lives of our future generations. “I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to protect children by helping to unify their families.” Current supporters of H.R. 3873 include the following: American Bar Association; The Center for Family Representation, Inc.; CLASP; First Focus Campaign for Children; Representative Carolyn Maloney; and Representative Charles Rangel. To find out more about National Foster Care Month visit http://www.fostercaremonth.org. ### For “Moore” News Updates Follow Gwen Moore on Twitter @RepGwenMoore and Like Gwen Moore on Facebook Contact: Nicole Y. Williams or Staci Cox (202) 225- 4572 Gwen Moore Commemorates National Foster Care Month Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) released the following statement acknowledging National Foster Care Month which is recognized during the month of May: “National Foster Care Month is a time to reflect on how to improve the well-being of more than 400,000 children and youth who are currently in the foster care system. “Removing a child from a home and placing him or her in foster care can be a serious and traumatic event in the child’s life. For over a decade, there has been strong bipartisan support for initiatives that prevent unnecessary removals and incentivize solutions that keep families together when possible. However, the majority of federal dollars are still spent towards the administrative costs of running the system, and a lot more still needs to be done. “In February, I introduced H.R. 3873, the Enhancing the Quality of Parental Representation Act of 2012. This bill would take important steps towards ensuring that parents have access to legal representation at all stages of a child welfare case. When the interest of a child and a family is at stake, it is important that all parties have the ability to be effectively heard in court. “High-quality counsel helps parents navigate necessary services to avoid child placement, increase the chance of family reunification later down the road and allows parents to have someone who is ‘on their side.’ Several state initiatives have seen tremendous success when providing legal counsel to parents. Expanding these types of services across the country is a very important investment in the lives of our future generations. “I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to protect children by helping to unify their families.” Current supporters of H.R. 3873 include the following: American Bar Association; The Center for Family Representation, Inc.; CLASP; First Focus Campaign for Children; Representative Carolyn Maloney; and Representative Charles Rangel. To find out more about National Foster Care Month visit http://www.fostercaremonth.org. ### For “Moore” News Updates Follow Gwen Moore on Twitter @RepGwenMoore and Like Gwen Moore on Facebook
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