Underwood Honors AJ Freund Through Speech on House Floor and Action

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswomen Lauren Underwood (D-IL) delivered a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives in memory of 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund from Crystal Lake who was tragically killed in April. Last Friday, Underwood attended the visitation for AJ in Crystal Lake. In her speech, Underwood highlights the dire need to improve the foster care system and strengthen the policies that failed AJ and many children and foster youth who experience abuse. Underwood recently introduced an amendment to H.R. 2480, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, to require research examining the association between parental substance abuse and its impacts on adoption outcomes. On Wednesday, the Committee on Education and Labor voted unanimously to pass H.R. 2480.

"AJ's death is heartbreaking and so are the flaws in the system that failed him. But one key part of that system—the foster care system—is stretched beyond capacity. In Illinois the need for foster care is rising, while the number of foster homes is decreasing at the fastest rate in the country. Local agencies are reviewing the policies surrounding AJ's death, but Congress must act as well," said Underwood.

Full video of Underwood's remarks can be found here.

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