Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) announced that her bill to provide grants to states and localities providing child protective services to train staff and caregivers about the impact of opioid addiction on children was included in Rep. Robin Kelly’s (IL-02) The Health Equity Accountability Act (HEAA). This legislation directs the Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to reduce health disparities across the nation by addressing the social determinants of health, improving access to health care for underserved communities, supporting maternal health needs and tackling the mental health crisis, gun violence epidemic, and much more.
“It is critical that those entrusted with caring for our most vulnerable children have the resources and knowledge they need to address the challenges created by opioid abuse, particularly as it relates to health equity,” said Strickland. “I am proud to have worked with my colleagues to ensure that this legislation includes my FOSTER Act and I urge the House to quickly pass this legislation to benefit South Sound residents and minority communities throughout the United States.”
The FOSTER Act, which has been endorsed by the New Democrat Coalition, the largest Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives, includes grants that can be used for:
- Foster care workforce recruitment and training on the effects of parental opioid use on children
- Foster and adoptive parent education on the impact of opioids
- Addiction treatment services for parents
The opioid epidemic has affected countless families and communities across the United States. 1.6 million people had an opioid use disorder in 2019, and the situation worsened in 2020 with the United States experiencing its highest number of reported overdose deaths. In Washington State alone, 58,000 kids were affected by the opioid epidemic in 2017, including 7,500 removed from home for foster or kinship care. Children are entering foster care at higher rates alongside the rise in the opioid crisis, with the rate of child removals primarily attributed to parental substance use doubling from 18.5% in 2000 to 36% in 2018. Congress must provide dedicated resources to support children in foster care affected by the opioid crisis and to support parents with substance use disorders working to maintain custody of their children.
U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress and is the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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