Messmer Column: Giving Hoosiers in foster care a better chance

Local Sources - In this week's Messmer report from Indiana Senator Mark Messmer, Messmer has sent out the following message:

May is Foster Care Awareness Month and is an important reminder of the 13,000 Hoosier children living in temporary homes.

The majority of foster children enter care as a result of abuse, neglect or abandonment by their parents. The average time children spend in foster care is 363 days. Some spend a much longer time in the system.

It's important to remember that in the midst of their tragic circumstances, these kids accomplish the same milestones as other children, including trying out for sports teams, taking the SAT and learning how to drive. 

Getting a driver’s license and auto insurance are important steps toward independence for many young Hoosiers. Children in foster care, at no fault of their own, face high cost barriers when trying to obtain auto insurance. These youths can pay up to 40% more for auto insurance than non-foster care children because they typically are only with a family for a short time and don't have an adult who will add them to their existing plan.

In order to help alleviate this situation, I voted in favor of Senate Enrolled Act 246, which creates new insurance options and charitable funding opportunities to help offset those costs and to help more children in foster care obtain auto insurance.

When this legislation was heard in the Senate Committee on Insurance and Financial Institutions, Joshua Oswald, who grew up in Indiana's foster care system and was in four different homes throughout high school, testified. Oswald stated, "When you're in foster care, it can be really challenging to find an adult to just put you on their insurance. That's a really tough conversation when you don't grow up with relational permanency."

Driving is a fundamental aspect of transitioning into adulthood. Removing this hurdle is a big step to providing independence to foster children, ensuring they have the same opportunities as other young Hoosiers.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent, you can visit IndianaFosterCare.org or IndianaAdoptionProgram.org.

As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at [email protected] or by phone at 800-382-9467.