Rep. Jackson's Statement on the country's Foster Care System
Media Contact: R. Elizabeth Bratton, Director of Communications
Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson on the state of the country's Foster Care System
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
This is a time to reflect on families who are impacted by child welfare. We must remind ourselves that it is our responsibility to help strengthen families and communities to safely reduce the need for foster care.
On June 11th, the Promoting Permanency through Kinship Families Act will be introduced. I am happy to support this initiative. This bill updates the requirements for states to promote kinship placement.
Keeping families intact increases the chances that children, and their parents, can thrive. Financial hardship is a primary reason that families, particularly, black families, encounter the foster care system, according to the Shriver Center.
In my home district of Cook County, Illinois, 67% of children who are in foster care are black children, but overall; black children make up a little more than 23% of all children in the entire county. Nationally, black children are twice as likely to be placed in foster care, compared to white children.
It is our duty to ensure the safety and security of the most vulnerable among us. These families don’t need a handout. They need the tools to create a stepladder to success.