WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) introduced the Securing American Families Everywhere (SAFE) Kids Act to address the issue of “re-homing,” or the transferring of children into the custody of unvetted strangers without the use of the child welfare system.  Stivers introduced the bipartisan legislation with Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth.

“As the father of two young kids, the idea of children being treated like goods or property is reprehensible,” said Stivers.  “Our nation must address re-homing and the rampant issues associated with this unnoticed and overlooked practice.  I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to shed light on re-homing to protect our children.”

“Our children are our nation’s most precious resource, and how we treat foster youth and children in the child welfare system speaks directly to our nation’s values,” said Bass. “This commonsense legislation will provide essential insight about the kind of homes where these children are placed. We must make sure that individuals who open their homes to children in the child welfare system are capable and are providing them with a stable and loving environment.”

Currently, there are no federal laws in place that prohibit the practice of re-homing, which can open the door to child abuse, neglect, exploitation and an all-around unsafe environment for children. Due to a lack of federal laws regarding re-homing, individuals are currently using online mediums, such as Craigslist, to transfer custody of children.  

Stivers legislation is a coordinated and bipartisan effort to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress within the next two years on our nation’s adoption process and interference in the United States.  The bill also recommends legislation to define adoption in an effort to encourage and facilitate the safe placement of a child with a nurturing family that has been properly vetted by the child-welfare system.

Rep. Stivers was first made aware of the practice of re-homing earlier this year when it was discovered that a girl who had been adopted from Haiti by a family in Idaho was transferred to a family in Central Ohio through contact on a Yahoo internet forum.  

The SAFE Kids Act is a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA.)

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