Grassley, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Help Find Missing Foster Youth

Press Release

Today, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to introduce the Find and Protect Foster Youth Act. Their bipartisan proposal would create a feedback loop between states and the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) to provide better care and information-sharing for missing and runaway foster youth.

"The number of missing foster youth is deeply disturbing. We have a responsibility to ensure children in our foster care system are kept safe. Our bipartisan proposal will improve communication among relevant state and federal agencies to protect vulnerable children," Grassley said.

"It is an abomination that thousands of Texas children in foster care are not accounted for, especially when these children are at higher risk of being trafficked," Cornyn said. "By increasing coordination between federal agencies and states, we can help ensure vulnerable children remain in a safe home instead of falling through the cracks."

"Too many of our foster youth face difficult experiences and go missing while in foster care. That's unacceptable and must change. Making sure our children have a safe place to call home isn't a partisan issue. I am pleased to partner with Senators Cornyn and Grassley on this bipartisan legislation," Stabenow said.

States are currently required by law to implement plans to prevent, mitigate and find cases of missing foster youth, but tens of thousands of foster children have gone missing in the last two decades. The senators' proposal seeks to increase communication between states and the ACF, allowing them to draw from real-life experiences when they provide assistance to child protective service agencies. In addition, the legislation would require ACF to report to Congress on progress being made to find missing foster youth and prevent runaways.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas).

Recently, Grassley joined Stabenow to introduce the Continued State Flexibility to Assist Older Foster Youth Act, which aims to support teenagers and young adults in the foster care system negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill passed the House last fall.

Source