Congressmen Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Don Bacon (R-NE), two of the co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, issued a statement regarding House passage of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which contains provisions they authored to protect adopted children from unregulated custody transfers, a practice also known as “rehoming.”
Rehoming is the practice of parents of adopted children abandoning their child to a stranger outside the safeguards of the child welfare system, often via online forums. The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act includes provisions from Langevin and Bacon’s Safe Home Act that give states the tools to protect children from this dangerous practice.
“We’re pleased our provisions to protect adopted children from rehoming were included in the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The safety and well-being of an adopted child is severely jeopardized when they are rehomed and left to the care of an unvetted stranger. It’s clear that this practice is a form of child abuse and neglect, and the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act will ensure child welfare officials have the authority they need to investigate and respond to such cases. The passage of this bill is an important step forward in finally bringing this disturbing practice to an end.”
