Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia finds himself at the center of controversy after releasing a new advertisement focused on his efforts to reform the state’s foster care system. Georgia’s child welfare official, Candice Broce, alleges that Ossoff is using the state’s foster care issues for self-promotion during his re-election campaign.
The ad, titled “Our Kids,” spotlights Ossoff’s collaboration with Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee in a bipartisan investigation into Georgia’s foster care system. Ossoff’s campaign presents this investigation and subsequent legislation as part of his record of protecting children and enhancing accountability within the system.
“For five years, I’ve been in the trenches fighting for vulnerable children and foster care reform alongside thousands of DFCS workers. Trust us when we say Jon Ossoff is nowhere to be found,” Candice Broce expressed in a social media post.
Broce claims that Ossoff has exaggerated his contribution to the welfare reforms and accuses him of turning a critical child welfare issue into a political triumph. She points out his failure to secure additional funding for the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) or garner federal support for child advocacy centers, despite calling the agency under-resourced.
Responding to these criticisms, Ossoff’s team rebuts Broce’s claims. They accuse her of partisan bias and highlight Ossoff’s investigation, which uncovered grave deficiencies within the foster care system, including allegations of sex trafficking. According to Ossoff’s campaign spokesperson, the director of DFCS, juvenile judges, foster children, and investigative journalists have exposed severe dysfunction within the agency.
The dispute intensifies as Ossoff’s aides accuse Broce of suggesting inappropriate detention solutions for children with specific needs, an allegation Broce denies.
“Candice Broce is a partisan political hack irresponsibly placed in charge of care for the state’s most vulnerable kids,” an Ossoff campaign representative criticized.
While Broce acknowledges challenges within Georgia’s foster care system, she argues that Ossoff uses the issues to elevate hearings, reports, and campaign messaging without offering substantive assistance.
“If you’re going to beat us down, show up with something to make it better,” Broce said of Ossoff.
Broce suggests that Ossoff could have leveraged his federal position to improve Medicaid access, behavioral health resources, and foster placement capacity rather than spotlight agency failures.
Despite the criticisms, Ossoff’s team argues that fixing the state agency’s issues is not his responsibility, highlighting his oversight efforts, anti-trafficking legislation, and advocacy for foster care funding.
Broce contrasts Ossoff’s record with that of Senator Raphael Warnock from Georgia, noting Warnock’s practical initiatives to support vulnerable populations.
Ossoff, having won an uncontested primary, faces Republican opponent Mike Collins in the upcoming election. Warnock will not seek re-election until 2028.