5 children die daily from child abuse in the U.S.
Five children die in the United States every single day due to child abuse and neglect.
Snapshot · The Shawn Ryan Show
#314 Jen Lilley - The Dark Truth About the American Foster Care System
Explore episode
Jun 18, 2026
Where this was said
The Fostering the Futures Act, Melania Trump, and How to Become a Foster Parent
At 2:13:36 · chapter starts 2:11:10
The episode pivots from doom to practical guidance. Lilley describes the Fostering the Futures Act — a bipartisan bill associated with Melania Trump — which lowered Chafee Program eligibility from 16 to 14 and extended aging-out age from 18 to 21, creating new education stipends, housing assistance, and business internship incentives for foster youth. She expresses cautious enthusiasm while warning against Congress using it as a reason to 'check the box' and move on. She then gives a detailed walkthrough of the licensing process: contact your local DCFS/HHS/CPS office, take a free orientation, complete CPR certification, take parenting classes and a water safety course, and pass a home study. She highlights private agencies like Childhelp as an alternative licensing route with more support. She explains respite care as the ideal low-commitment entry point — a fully licensed short-term placement option that lets would-be foster parents test the waters while providing critical relief to burned-out foster families.
Only 2 cents of every dollar went to prevention
A 2025 study found that of the $9.6 billion Title IV-E foster care fund, only 2 cents of every dollar actually went toward prevention after the 2018 Family First Act.
36% social worker turnover within 18 months
The national average social worker turnover rate in child welfare is 36% within 18 months; in Florida it reaches 57%.
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