Lee Marshall, Founder and CEO of Kids to Love, is set to address members of Congress today, bringing national attention to challenges within the foster care and adoption system.
Marshall is scheduled to testify Thursday before a House Appropriations Subcommittee during a hearing titled “Advancing Permanency in Child Welfare: Leveraging Federal Funding for Adoption.”
The hearing will focus on how federal resources can better support children in foster care and help more find permanent, stable homes.
The hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. Central Time on March 26, and will be streamed live.
Drawing on more than two decades of experience in child welfare, Marshall is expected to outline key issues facing the system, including placement shortages, overburdened caseworkers, and barriers that can delay or prevent children from being adopted or placed in permanent homes.
Her testimony will also call for increased accountability in how federal funding is used at the state level, along with consideration of a national task force aimed at strengthening foster care and adoption systems across the country.
Marshall is expected to highlight programs developed through Kids to Love that focus on improving outcomes for children in care. Those efforts include initiatives that support foster families, provide trauma-informed services, and help older youth transition into adulthood through workforce training and housing support.
Programs such as KTECH, which prepares young people for careers, and the Whitaker Cottage Community, which provides housing for those aging out of foster care, are among the models she plans to reference as examples of effective solutions.
In addition to policy changes, Marshall is expected to emphasize the importance of community involvement, including the role of families, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations in supporting children in foster care.
At the center of her message is a focus on permanency and stability for children.
“Every child deserves stability, support, and a permanent place to call home,” Marshall is expected to tell lawmakers.
Kids to Love, based in Alabama, works to meet the immediate needs of children in foster care while investing in their long-term success through education, workforce development, and placement programs. The organization has served thousands of children across the state and beyond.
