FOSTER Act
Congress Proposes $255 Million Yearly to Help Families and Foster Parents Affected by Opioids
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill, introduced by Ms. Strickland and Mr. Fitzpatrick, aims to help children and families caught in the opioid crisis. It provides money to state and local agencies to support kids, foster parents, and relatives like grandparents who are raising children because of drug-related issues.
- The plan authorizes $255 million every year from 2028 through 2033. This money will be used to hire and train more social workers, provide healthcare services, and find more foster and adoptive parents for children in need.
- A big part of the bill focuses on "kinship caregivers." These are relatives like aunts, uncles, or grandparents who step in to raise a child when the parents cannot. The bill ensures these families get the specific help and training they need to handle the challenges of the opioid epidemic.
- By updating existing laws, the bill makes sure that at least 1% of certain federal opioid grants are dedicated specifically to these family and child services. This ensures that children and their guardians receive a guaranteed portion of the funding meant to fight drug abuse.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Children displaced by parental opioid abuse often face disruptions to their education and wellbeing. By funding support services for kinship caregivers and foster families, this bill could help stabilize living situations for school-age children, improving their chances of staying in school and getting the support they need.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
FOSTER Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.