Kids to Love CEO urges Congress to reform foster care and adoption system
WASHINGTON, D.C. Kids to Love Founder and CEO Lee Marshall spoke before Congress last week on one of the most pressing issues facing vulnerable children in America: the need for meaningful reform in the foster care and adoption system.
Madison-based Kids to Love is a non-profit organization that meets the needs of foster children, and works to find them adoptive homes.
Lee testified during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing titled “Advancing Permanency in Child Welfare: Leveraging Federal Funding for Adoption.” The hearing brought together lawmakers and experts to examine how federal resources can better support children in foster care and help more of them find permanent, stable homes.
Drawing on more than two decades of frontline experience in child welfare, Lee delivered a candid assessment of the system’s current challenges. Her testimony highlighted the urgent realities facing children across the country, including placement shortages, overburdened caseworkers, and systemic barriers that delay or prevent permanency.
Marshall says frontline workers, including caseworkers and child welfare staff, are stretched too thin, leaving some children at risk. “Those who serve on the front lines are overtaxed. Caseloads are too big. It’s just not manageable. And then, as a result, what’s happening that we’re seeing in the state of Alabama, our children are dying in the child welfare system. Children are sleeping in county offices. Children are being housed in juvenile detention facilities, not because they’ve committed a crime, but because that’s the only bed available.”
At the core of her message was a call for greater accountability and collaboration. Lee urged Congress to take a closer look at how federal funding is being used at the state level and advocated for the creation of a national task force focused on evaluating and strengthening foster care and adoption systems nationwide.
She also pointed to solutions already making a difference.
Through the work of Kids to Love Foundation, Lee has helped pioneer a model of care that emphasizes faster paths to permanency, strong support for foster families, trauma-informed services, and workforce development opportunities for older youth. Programs like KTECH are preparing young people for sustainable careers, while innovative housing initiatives are helping those aging out of care transition successfully into adulthood.
Lee also underscored the importance of community involvement, particularly the role of families, local organizations, and faith-based groups, in supporting children in care. Her perspective reflects both professional expertise and personal experience, shaping a message that is as practical as it is deeply rooted in purpose.
Ultimately, her testimony centered on a simple but powerful idea: every child deserves stability, support, and a permanent place to call home.
To learn more about Kids to Love and to watch Marshall’s testimony, go to kidstolove.org.
