Bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify the obstacles preventing the proper support for children missing from foster care and other vulnerable foster youth.
“The number of children missing from our foster care system is horrifying and heartbreaking,” Rep. Gonzales said on Wednesday. “I am pleased to join this bipartisan effort to ensure the safety of our most vulnerable children.”
The Find and Protect Foster Youth Act, H.R. 7210, which Rep. Gonzales cosponsored on March 24 alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), would create a communication loop between states and the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) to provide better care and information-sharing for these foster youth, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Improving communication between state and federal agencies will help all children to have a safe place to call home,” said Rep. Gonzales.
If enacted, the bill also would require the HHS Secretary to provide technical assistance related to removing the obstacles to providing support and would require ACF to report to Congress on the progress being made to find missing foster youth and to prevent runaways.
“In 2020, over 4,000 foster care children in the United States went unaccounted for — designated simply as ‘runaway’ and left behind by the foster care system,” said Rep. Johnson. “The system was designed to protect these children, but when thousands of them go missing each year, it is evident that there is a serious problem.”
H.R. 7210, which has been endorsed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, has been referred to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee for consideration. It is the identical bill to S. 3907, which U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced on March 23.