KLUNK SHARES FOSTER CARE, PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE EXPERTISE AT NATIONAL POLICY ROUNDTABLE

The following information was released by Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Republican Caucus:

This week, Rep. Kate Klunk (R-Hanover) participated in a national roundtable discussion about the intersection of professional liability insurance and child welfare agencies that serve foster youth. The event, hosted by the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in Washington, D.C., brought together experts from across the country to better shape the insurance landscape for an industry that serves one of the most vulnerable groups of children in the nation.

Klunk was selected to participate in this high-level discussion based upon her leadership on a 2022 initiative in Pennsylvania. Klunks bill, which becameAct 127 of 2022, was specifically aimed at addressing high insurance costs for foster care and other children and youth service providers by ensuring mutual indemnification, where each party is liable for its own negligence. Before the bill was signed into law, it received unanimous support from the General Assembly, signaling solid public policy with bipartisan support. Klunk worked with Terry Clark, President and CEO of Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services in advancing this legislative initiative. At the roundtable, Clark joined Klunk in sharing the bi-partisan efforts advanced in Pennsylvania to address challenges in the professional liability insurance market for child welfare agencies.

Limited access to affordable professional liability insurance for foster homes and child welfare agencies is a growing crisis in the United States, said Klunk. Unfortunately, this complex insurance issue is creating obstacles and limiting options for foster youth who deserve our full support. It was a privilege to share my expertise on this issue, as well as hear from other leaders in the field about how we can address this problem on a national level.

Children in foster care deserve every available avenue to succeed and that success begins with stable, reliable resources to set them on the right path. We must help our providers meet that goal.