Rep. Smith bill incorporated into foster care legislation in U.S. House

Republican Congressman Adrian Smith, who represents Nebraska’s 3rd District, wrote policy that a U.S. House committee incorporated into a bill on foster care reforms.

Smith, alongside Democratic colleague Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, introduced the Youth and Family Engagement in Child Welfare Act in the U.S. House in June.

The bill would require states to consult with youth and families who have experience with foster care when developing state child welfare plans.

States would then be required to publicly report their suggestions and show how they were implemented.

Smith said there is a lot that policymakers can learn by listening to people who have foster care experience when developing child welfare programs.

“We know that there's a problem when a foster youth ages out of the system and does not transition into a situation of opportunity," he said. "That weighs heavy on my mind.”

According to the June 2024 report from the Nebraska Foster Care Review Office, more than 4,000 minors in the state are in out-of-home care.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee incorporated language from that bill into the Protecting America’s Children By Strengthening Families Act.

That legislation made it out of committee with bipartisan support.