Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

Nearly three years ago, Representative Cardoza and his wife, Dr. Kathie McLoughlin, adopted two foster care children, Elaina, now 6, and Joey, now 9, into their family which already included their biological daughter, Brittany.  The Cardozas were troubled by the significant flaws in the foster care system.  “Having Joey and Elaina with us has enlightened our lives.  We feel as though they have always been a part of our family,” said Cardoza.

The Foster Care Reform Commission would be responsible for studying the ongoing foster care crisis in the United States, including efforts of States, counties and privately administered foster care agencies to address problems with the system. After thorough review, the Commission would be charged with determining a list of best practices that would help advance safe and reliable foster care in the United States.  “The foster care system in California and the nation as a whole is in a shambles,” Cardoza said.  “I intend to do whatever I can to make sure that the process is streamlined in order to get more kids into good, permanent homes.  This should be a fundamental right of every child.”

The measure would require that four Commission members be appointed as follows:  1 Senator appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate; 1 Senator appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 1 Representative appointed by the Speaker of the House; and 1 Representative appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.  These four Commission members would then appoint eleven additional members, each of whom must be expert on child and foster care issues.  Members will not be compensated for serving on the Commission but would be required to serve throughout its duration.  Within two years of its members being appointed, the Commission would be required to prepare a report containing its findings and conclusions regarding reform of the foster care system.

According to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts entitled “Home at Last:  Moving Children in Foster care to Safe, Permanent Families,” more than half a million children in the United States are in foster care.  These children are typically in the foster care system for three years and are placed with an average of three different families during that time.  As a result of policies adopted in the 1990s by federal, state and local governments, adoptions from the foster care system increased by 78%.  However, the number of kids waiting in foster care far outweighs the number of those adopted each year. 

The cost of the foster care system presents yet another strong argument for reform.  A recent report by the Little Hoover Commission stated that in 2000, federal, state and local governments spent more than $12 billion for foster care.  Federal spending on foster care exceeds $10,000 per child and can be as high as $20,000 for some children.  In FY2002-2003, the State of California allocated $2.2 billion for foster care.  Despite these significant costs and the numerous reforms implemented over the past four years, California faces fines of up to $18.2 million if the State fails to address deficiencies in the system. 

The report identifies two primary reasons for the number of kids languishing in foster care.  First, financial incentives favor foster care over other options and second, the manner in which state and local courts administer child welfare cases can prolong stays in foster care.  Remedies to these obstacles are among the issues Rep Cardoza would like the Commission to explore.  Cardoza is also a member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.