Paris Hilton, a famed celebrity and advocate, returned to Capitol Hill to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee, passionately advocating for the modernization of America's foster care system.
Sharing her own personal experience, Hilton spoke of her traumatic youth in domestic establishments, emphasizing wide issues of abuse and neglect within the system.
Paris Hilton Testifies Before Congress on Foster Care Abuse
Paris Hilton addressed Congress on Wednesday regarding the severe treatment she and other children endured in foster care installations, following a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that stressed wide failures in tracking similar abuses.
Hilton emphasized to members of the House Ways and Means Committee that she is speaking on behalf of children whose voices are frequently unheard. She added that the maltreatment these children have faced is nothing short of unlawful.
According to the report, nearly 50,000 children live in foster care establishments across the country, yet numerous states fail to cover cases of multiple abuses occurring within the same facility. The HHS inspector general's office found significant gaps in data collection, hindering efforts to identify patterns of maltreatment in domestic settings.
Reflecting on her own traumatic journey, Hilton reported being forcefully removed from her home at the age of 16 and placed in four different domestic treatment facilities.
During her congressional address, she stated that these programs and facilities for troubled youth promised mending, growth, and support. But rather, in her experience, she was denied basic freedoms, silenced and confined from even looking out a window for two years.
She added that she was subjected to forced medications and sexual abuse by staff members and revealed having endured violent conditions, being dragged down corridors, stripped of clothing, and confined to isolation.
Hilton also blamed the foster care system's lack of transparency, pointing out how her parents were misled about the deplorable conditions she faced under the guise of therapeutic care.
The inspector general's report exposed that at least 32 states don't document abuses occurring in out-of-state facilities, even when these facilities are contracted through companies entering government funding. This disclosure echoes findings from a recent Senate Finance Committee disquisition, which exposed systemic abuse within foster care establishments operated by large, for-profit businesses.
Hilton prompted lawmakers to imagine the plight of children placed by the state without regular oversight, emphasizing the critical need for responsibility and reform in the $23 billion foster care industry.
Advocacy and Legislative Efforts for Child Welfare Modernization Reform
Across the United States, taxpayers allocate billions annually to support foster care programs, placing thousands of children either with families in homes or with relatives.
Recently, federal attention has concentrated on the most costly segment of this system, residential treatment facilities, where daily costs can soar into the hundreds of dollars.
These establishments generally cater to children with complex medical or behavioral needs, yet their operations, as Paris Hilton stressed, frequently warrant effective oversight, raising concerns about prioritizing financial gain over the well-being of foster youth.
Hilton, who recently became a mother to two children, Phoenix and London, with husband Carter Reum, emphasized her commitment to championing for children whose voices go unheard in the system. Her testimony serves as a poignant call to action, championing stricter regulations and enhanced protections to assure the safety and well-being of all children in foster care.
Paris Hilton's plea before the congressional commission emphasized her personal stake in ensuring the safety and welfare of all children, reflecting her growing influence as a prominent advocate for child safety in Hollywood.
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