U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently introduced a bipartisan bill to bolster the care of and information-sharing for missing and runaway foster youth.
“We must do all we can to protect our most vulnerable children and keep them safe,” Sen. Capito said on April 12. “This legislation is a step in the right direction in achieving that goal.”
Sen. Capito on March 30 signed on as one of three original cosponsors, along with U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), of the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act, S. 1146, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
If enacted, S. 1146 would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to recognize obstacles to identifying and responding to reports of children missing from foster care and other vulnerable foster youth, and to provide technical assistance related to removing such obstacles, according to the congressional record bill summary.
“In West Virginia, our children are our future, and we must make certain that our youth in foster care are safe and protected,” said Sen. Capito. “This legislation will strengthen the coordination of information-sharing between the state and federal level, and improve our ability to quickly locate missing and runaway foster youth.”
Currently, federal law requires states to implement plans to prevent, mitigate, and find cases of missing foster youth, but tens of thousands of foster children have gone missing in the last two decades, according to information provided by Sen. Capito’s staff.
To rectify this situation, S. 1146 would increase communication between states and HHS’s Administration of Children and Families (ACF) to allow them to use real-life experiences to inform the assistance they provide to child protective service agencies, the information says.
The bill also would require ACF to report to Congress on its progress to find missing foster youth and prevent runaways, and to establish screenings for children who return to foster care after running away or otherwise being absent to determine if the children were victims of sex trafficking during their absence, states the information.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children supports S. 1146.