Improving Foster Care for America's Children
I believe we have no greater responsibility as a society than to care for our nation's children, particularly those who have been removed from their home. Nationwide, over half a million children are in foster care. Our state of California has the largest share—close to 100,000 children in its foster care system. Ever since my wife and I adopted two children from foster care, I have advocated on behalf of adoption and foster children in the California Assembly and in Congress.
 Although foster care was never meant to be a permanent placement for kids, an insufficient number of foster parents and higher rates of child abuse have extended foster care stays in recent years, making foster care reform more important than ever.
Every year 26,000 young people are emancipated from foster care on their 18th birthday. Although we would all like to believe children are self-sufficient at age 18, we know they are not. While most children are nestled into healthcare plans under their parents' policy, foster youth in all but 13 states, are denied access to critical health services after turning 18. This is wrong. Parents don't walk out on their kids at age 18 and neither should we.
The stability we strive for as parents to provide to our children should be the same standard policy makers set out to achieve in the lives of our children in foster care. That is why I believe children in abused and neglected cases need to have specially-trained representation in family court so that their needs do not get muddled in judicial proceedings and their best interest is safeguarded. Without trained advocates, we are depriving them critical representation in family court.
In the coming months as we debate overhauling our healthcare system and improving educational opportunities for young people in America, I will work with my colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass legislation that will improve the lives of our children in foster care.
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