GA Senator introduces new legislation aimed at improving foster care system

GEORGIA — Senator Jon Ossoff introduced new legislation with the goal of improving the foster care system. The purposed bill is called the Foster Care Placement Transparency Act.

It would require states to measure and report cases to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where children are separated from their parents and placed informally with a caregiver.

Ossoff said in most cases this involved a family member. This practice is also referred to as ‘hidden foster care.’ Ossoff said requirements would also include requiring the department to submit a report to Congress regarding the use of ‘hidden foster care.’

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“This is a very straight forward reporting requirement, it simply requires states to disclose how many such arrangements are made and that’s information that’s important for the public, and policy makers to have,” said Senator Jon Ossoff.

In October of last year, Ossoff and the subcommittee on human rights heard testimony from a parent whose 2-year-old daughter was murdered by her temporary caregiver, after DFCS placed her in the care of her father and his girlfriend. It was revealed in the inquiry that DFCS admitted it did not perform background checks, which would have revealed the 2-year old’s caregivers had felony criminal records and were subjects of prior reports of abuse and neglect to DFCS.

In the subcommittee’s report, it also reveals DFCS failed to adequately monitor the child’s safety during the time she was placed with her father.

“This bill very much responds to long standing concerns and call for support from practitioners from child welfare across the country, So this bill is really that first step that launch into that greater understanding that will help us do our work better,” Melissa Carter, Clinical Professor & Executive Director of the Barton Child Law & Policy Center.

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After multiple Channel 2 Action News investigations, Senator Jon Ossoff’s along with Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee office launched a bipartisan investigation info DFCS in 2023.

In the last 13 months Ossoff and members of the Sub Committee on Human Rights have held hearings listening to testimony and gathering information regarding deficiencies within the department.

In an analysis apart of this inquiry, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found between 2018 and 2022, 1,790 were reported missing while in state care.

Ossoff says that number is around 2,500 when including cases where children were repeatedly reported missing.

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In 2023, Channel 2 Action News reported parent’s frustrations over the practice of hoteling children.

“The 13 month bi-partisan investigation that I lead revealed deep systemic disfunction in Georgia DFCS and this legislation is not a cure all solution this is aimed at a very particular issue” which is that there’s not public information about how frequently these kind of arraignments are made and it’s important the public policy makers have an understanding about how frequently these arraignments are made,” said Senator Jon Ossoff.

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