SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — A North Alabama advocate is taking the voices of vulnerable children from the Tennessee Valley to the halls of Congress, calling for meaningful reform in the nation’s foster care system.
Lee Marshall, founder and CEO of the Huntsville-based nonprofit Kids to Love, traveled to Washington, D.C., to testify before a House appropriations subcommittee focused on advancing permanency in child welfare. Her message was clear: the system is in crisis, and children are paying the price.
“I’m here today to speak to the crisis in our country — one where our youngest and most vulnerable citizens are often unseen, unheard, and unprotected,” Marshall told lawmakers.
Marshall urged Congress to establish a national task force to evaluate and audit foster care and adoption systems nationwide, emphasizing that accountability must accompany federal funding.
“Federal dollars must come with federal accountability,” she said. “There has to be a reevaluation of how resources are distributed and used at the state level.”
One of the most pressing issues she highlighted is the lack of adequate funding for mental health services for children in foster care. According to Marshall, reimbursement rates through Medicaid fall significantly short of what providers need to deliver quality care.
“My goal is to hire the best therapists because I have the children that are hurt the most,” she said. “Private insurance may reimburse around $150 an hour, while Medicaid pays less than $65. From a business standpoint, I am always in the red.”
Despite these financial challenges, Marshall said community support has helped bridge the gap, allowing Kids to Love to continue serving children who need it most.
“If it wasn’t for the generosity of our community and our donors… it will not be successful,” she said. “You have skilled therapists who simply cannot afford to treat the children who need it the most. Our children are worth top billing. They need it.”
Marshall also emphasized the importance of adopting a trauma-informed approach within the foster care system, noting that many children enter care with complex emotional and psychological needs.
“We understand that trauma and foster care and adoption go hand in hand,” she said. “But there’s still a lack of accessibility to services and a lack of understanding of how critical a trauma-focused approach truly is.”
Founded in 2004, Kids to Love has grown into a cornerstone organization in North Alabama, providing resources, advocacy, and support for foster children and families while pushing for systemic change beyond the local level.
As Huntsville continues to expand, leaders like Marshall are ensuring that growth includes compassion and accountability. Her testimony serves as a powerful reminder that local voices can influence national policy — and that every child deserves to be seen, heard, and protected.