GEORGIA, USA — U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn heard personal testimonies of those impacted in the foster care system.
The hearing at the nation's capital, comes after the Senate opened an inquiry into the system earlier this year -- a response in part to local media investigations.
Ossoff said in a previous report that hearing about Georgia's foster care system neglect and abuse made him open a bipartisan inquiry into the whole system across the country.
On Wednesday, the Senate heard from a Georgia parent, a former foster care child and experts from Emory University School of Law.
The parent, Rachel Aldridge said her daughter died after DFCS placed her with the child's father and his girlfriend, despite her pleas that it was an unsafe home.
“Brooklyn died on March 6, 2018, the cause of death of blunt force trauma to the back of the head and the girlfriend was convicted of murdering Brooklyn," Aldridge said.
"Foster care is meant to provide sanctuary for our most vulnerable children," Ossoff said. "On Wednesday, we will hear firsthand testimony from children and parents who have suffered grievously from systemic failures, and from expert witnesses to shed light on necessary reforms."
Advocate Polly McKinney with Voices for Georgia's Children believes the system should include multiple agencies.
"I believe that there are things that work very well in the system and there are a lot of things that could be fixed. And so what I'm hoping to hear is real lived experience and truth from all sides," said the advocate.
Earlier this year, 11Alive's Liza Lucas reported that Georgia and the state Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) spent $28 million housing kids in hotels, often for months at a time. The findings led to concerns about DFCS' ability to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in its care.
In the interim, hoteling not only comes at a cost to children, who miss out on needed services and school but also cuts into the department’s budget. On average, hoteling costs around $1,500 per night, including the cost of the room, meals, and DFCS behavior aides, according to DFCS data compiled by Voices.
“As leaders, we have no higher obligation than to protect those who cannot protect themselves – especially children at risk of abuse or neglect,” Blackburn previously said.
The Georgia Department of Human Services said the commissioner had no comment ahead of Wednesday's hearing.
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