Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

"Our nation’s foster care system is in shambles," said Cardoza, who has introduced legislation to commission a broader study of the foster care crisis in the United States. "The report isolates some of the major causes of our problems and its disturbing conclusions should bring needed momentum to reform efforts. We must act to help prevent some of the horrible abuses that children are experiencing in foster care."

The Pew Commission found that the federal financing structure encourages an over-reliance on placement of abused children in foster care at the expense of other more permanent options and that court systems lack the tools, information, and accountability necessary to move children swiftly out of foster care.

Four years ago, Cardoza and his wife, Dr. Kathie McLoughlin, adopted two foster care children into their family. Cardoza was troubled by the significant flaws in the foster care system, prompting him to introduce legislation. His bill, H.R. 2124, would charge a foster care reform commission with determining a list of best practices that would help advance safe and reliable foster care.

Cardoza also plans to write a book about problems with foster care in an effort to raise the profile of foster care issues in Congress.