State Rep. Donni Steele joined foster parents and advocates Tuesday in delivering testimony before the House Committee on Families and Veterans, highlighting the need to reform foster care in the state of Michigan.

The group from Southeast Michigan shared personal experiences as foster parents and former foster children, describing the daily struggles they face and the ways the state continues to fail foster families and children in care.

“Foster care was designed to be a system to support children and families during difficult times,” said Steele (R-Lake Orion). “Supporting stable foster homes should be our goal so that we do not have the high foster parent burnout rates that we currently see. This creates greater instability in children’s lives through frequent moving and can further contribute to emotional trauma.”

The testimony underscored how the shortage of foster homes hits hardest for teenagers, sibling groups, children with autism or behavioral challenges, and children with complex medical needs. As a result, many children experience repeated placements that separate them from their schools and families or force them into shelters and emergency situations.

Steele’s guests drew attention to “long-haulers,” foster cases that drag on for more than three years without the state resolving the case.

“The level of stress and uncertainty that foster families and foster children experience is unimaginable,” Steele said. “We must shine a light on these cases and prioritize their resolution.”

Foster care needs reform.