Clermont Times

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) addressed the House Ways and Means Committee this week, focusing on child welfare through the reauthorization of Title IV-B, a program for children and youth in foster care. Wenstrup introduced the Foster Care Adoption Oversight and Support Act alongside Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), aiming to assist families adopting children from foster care.

The proposed legislation seeks to gather data to evaluate post-adoption services and resources, identify service gaps, inform strategic investments, and improve outcomes for adopted children and their families. According to the Administration for Children and Families, in 2022, two children remained in foster care awaiting adoption for every child adopted.

Caring for adopting families is "very important to me," Wenstrup stated at the hearing. He emphasized that success is not merely paperwork but achieving a stable family environment even if one never had it before.

Wenstrup highlighted the bill's directive for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide Congress with a written report to better allocate resources for foster children and their adoptive parents. "It is incredibly important for adopting parents to be supported in making children feel welcomed, safe, and accepted," he said.

Rep. Lloyd Smucker underscored the need for reliable federal statistics on failed adoptions. "This legislation aims to compile key data to pinpoint deficiencies in current foster care services," he noted.

Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Rep. Jason Smith expressed support: "Strong families mean strong communities... I want to thank Congressman Wenstrup for advancing solutions that will provide accountability."

Ryan Hanlon, President of the National Council for Adoption, also praised the bipartisan effort: "Better data will produce improved policies to support children and families."

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