Bill Overview
Title: Find and Protect Foster Youth Act
Description: This bill requires the Office of the Administration for Children & Families to evaluate the protocols that states have developed to comply with the reporting requirements for locating a child missing from foster care. Additionally, the administration, through the Children's Bureau, must provide states, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal consortia with information, advice, educational materials, and technical assistance relating to eliminating identified obstacles to identifying and responding to children missing from foster care and other vulnerable foster youth and providing such children and youth with effective services.
Sponsors: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Target Audience
Population: People in the foster care system globally
Estimated Size: 440000
- The bill aims to improve the protocols for locating missing children in foster care, directly affecting children in the foster care system.
- There are approximately 437,000 children in foster care in the United States, a portion of whom may be missing at any time.
- The bill also impacts state agencies responsible for foster care as it involves evaluating and possibly changing protocols.
- Additionally, tribal entities involved in foster care could be impacted, as the bill includes provisions for providing these entities with support.
Reasoning
- The proposed policy will primarily impact individuals within or connected to the foster care system, including foster children and young adults who have aged out of the system.
- Considering the budget constraints, the policy will initially support improvements and training focused on immediate, high-impact areas such as missing child protocols.
- Given the policy's support for state and tribal entities, employees within these systems will see their job protocols change, possibly leading to improved outcomes for missing foster youth, thus enhancing the wellbeing of foster children.
- Not all individuals in the foster care system will experience direct benefit from the policy immediately due to budget limitations and the gradual rollout of support over several years.
- The policy is not aimed at affecting people outside the foster care system directly, so most of the general population will see no change in their wellbeing scores.
Simulated Interviews
High School Student (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy makes it easier to find friends who might go missing.
- Knowing there is a system to help makes me feel a little safer.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Social Worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy gives us more tools to assist kids, but we need to ensure the changes really make a difference.
- Better training and information sharing are key for success.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Foster Parent (Albuquerque, NM)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any policy that enhances tracking and support for missing kids is beneficial.
- I hope this policy means more support for families like ours dealing with the stress of missing kids.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Tribal Child Welfare Advocate (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The inclusion of tribal entities is a positive change, but we need more cultural sensitivity.
- We need resources tailored to our community to make this work.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
College Student (New York, NY)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With the right support, missing kids issues can be mitigated.
- Policies should also consider support for those aging out.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Foster Care Agency Administrator (Austin, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could improve communication between agencies.
- Success depends on effective implementation and constant evaluation.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Middle School Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 14 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I want to know that if I or my siblings go missing, someone is looking for us.
- Policies should make us feel cared for, not just numbers in a system.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Retired Police Officer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy gives law enforcement better frameworks to collaborate with foster agencies.
- There is a need for real-time data sharing to efficiently locate missing children.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
High School Senior (Denver, CO)
Age: 18 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the policy helps but what happens after is also important.
- More resources are needed for kids aging out.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Non-Profit Sector: Child Welfare (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The new policy is a step towards strengthening the safety net for vulnerable kids.
- It is crucial to maintain funding for these initiatives beyond the initial years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $18000000 (Low: $14000000, High: $22000000)
Year 3: $18000000 (Low: $14000000, High: $22000000)
Year 5: $16000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $20000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Variability in state and tribal protocols may affect the evaluation costs and savings projections.
- Cost-saving projections assume successful adoption and implementation of improved practices, which may vary widely.
- Long-term impacts on social stability, while potential, are difficult to quantify accurately in the short term.