Letter to the editor: Congress should guarantee lawyers for foster children
· The Washington TimesOPINION:
Foster care is one of the most powerful systems operated by the government. When the state removes a child from their home, a judge often decides what the child’s future looks like.
Yet in many parts of the country, the child at the center of those decisions is not guaranteed legal representation. I know because I lived it.
I entered foster care at age 14. When I later moved across state lines for a fresh start, my caseworker tried to force me out of care, stripping me of the protections to which I was entitled. I was close to losing everything I had worked toward.
What changed my life was that I had a lawyer.
Because I grew up in Pennsylvania, a state that guarantees legal representation for foster youth, I had someone who could file an appeal and fight for me. We won.
I stayed in care and was given a second chance to build my future. I later served as an officer in the U.S. Army, worked on Capitol Hill and advised on child welfare policy. Today, I am a graduate student at Georgetown University.
That moment changed the trajectory of my life.
Today, 13 states still do not guarantee lawyers for children in foster care. I saw the consequences firsthand while living and working in Alaska, one of those states. Advocates who are not attorneys cannot file motions, provide legal advice or appeal decisions. That means too many young people are left navigating one of the most important moments of their lives alone.
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Congress now has an opportunity to change that. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Pennsylvania Democrat, introduced the Right to Representation Act to help guarantee legal representation for children in foster care nationwide.
The House also recently advanced the Fresh Starts for Foster Youth Act, legislation I helped develop as part of the broader Fostering the Future Act. The bill strengthens existing support systems for foster youth transitioning into adulthood.
This is both a moral and fiscal issue. Legal representation helps children reach permanency sooner, strengthens due process, improves outcomes and reduces long-term costs.
I was one decision away from homelessness. There are thousands of young people at that same crossroads today. Every child in foster care deserves someone in their corner when the system is deciding their future. Congress should guarantee that right.
NIKOLAS HUGHEY
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Arlington, Virginia