[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H7375-H7387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1400
           CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2006

  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendments to the House amendments to the Senate bill (S. 
3525) to amend subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security 
Act to improve outcomes for children in families affected by 
methamphetamine abuse and addiction, to reauthorize the promoting safe 
and stable families program, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendments to House amendments:
       In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the House 
     amendment to the text of the bill, insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Child and Family Services 
     Improvement Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) For Federal fiscal year 2004, child protective services 
     (CPS) staff nationwide reported investigating or assessing an 
     estimated 3,000,000 allegations of child maltreatment, and 
     determined that 872,000 children had been abused or neglected 
     by their parents or other caregivers.
       (2) Combined, the Child Welfare Services (CWS) and 
     Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) programs provide 
     States about $700,000,000 per year, the largest source of 
     targeted Federal funding in the child protection system for 
     services to ensure that children are not abused or neglected 
     and, whenever possible, help children remain safely with 
     their families.
       (3) A 2003 report by the Government Accountability Office 
     (GAO) reported that little research is available on the 
     effectiveness of activities supported by CWS funds--
     evaluations of services supported by PSSF funds have 
     generally shown little or no effect.
       (4) Further, the Department of Health and Human Services 
     recently completed initial Child and Family Service Reviews 
     (CFSRs) in each State. No State was in full compliance with 
     all measures of the CFSRs. The CFSRs also revealed that 
     States need to work to prevent repeat abuse and neglect of 
     children, improve services provided to families to reduce the 
     risk of future harm (including by better monitoring the 
     participation of families in services), and strengthen 
     upfront services provided to families to prevent unnecessary 
     family break-up and protect children who remain at home.
       (5) Federal policy should encourage States to invest their 
     CWS and PSSF funds in services that promote and protect the 
     welfare of children, support strong, healthy families, and 
     reduce the reliance on out-of-home care, which will help 
     ensure all children are raised in safe, loving families.
       (6) CFSRs also found a strong correlation between frequent 
     caseworker visits with children and positive outcomes for 
     these children, such as timely achievement of permanency and 
     other indicators of child well-being.
       (7) However, a December 2005 report by the Department of 
     Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found 
     that only 20 States were able to produce reports to show 
     whether caseworkers actually visited children in foster care 
     on at least a monthly basis, despite the fact that nearly all 
     States had written standards suggesting monthly visits were 
     State policy.
       (8) A 2003 GAO report found that the average tenure for a 
     child welfare caseworker is less than 2 years and this level 
     of turnover negatively affects safety and permanency for 
     children.
       (9) Targeting CWS and PSSF funds to ensure children in 
     foster care are visited on at least a monthly basis will 
     promote better outcomes for vulnerable children, including by 
     preventing further abuse and neglect.
       (10) According to the Office of Applied Studies of the 
     Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 
     the annual number of new uses of Methamphetamine, also known 
     as ``meth,'' has increased 72 percent over the past decade. 
     According to a study conducted by the National Association of 
     Counties which surveyed 500 county law enforcement agencies 
     in 45 states, 88 percent of the agencies surveyed reported 
     increases in meth related arrests starting 5 years ago.
       (11) According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and 
     Health, nearly 12,000,000 Americans have tried 
     methamphetamine. Meth making operations have been uncovered 
     in all 50 states, but the most wide-spread abuse has been 
     concentrated in the western, southwestern, and Midwestern 
     United States.
       (12) Methamphetamine abuse is on the increase, particularly 
     among women of child-bearing age. This is having an impact on 
     child welfare systems in many States. According to a survey 
     administered by the National Association of Counties (``The 
     Impact of Meth on Children''), conducted in 300 counties in 
     13 states, meth is a major cause of child abuse and neglect. 
     Forty percent of all the child welfare officials in the 
     survey reported an increase in out-of-home placements because 
     of meth in 2005.
       (13) It is appropriate also to target PSSF funds to address 
     this issue because of the unique strain the meth epidemic 
     puts on child welfare agencies. Outcomes for children 
     affected by meth are enhanced when services provided by law 
     enforcement, child welfare and substance abuse agencies are 
     integrated.

[[Page H7376]]

     SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE 
                   FAMILIES PROGRAM.

       (a) Funding of Mandatory Grants at $345 Million Per Fiscal 
     Year.--Effective October 1, 2006, section 436(a) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(a)) is amended by 
     striking ``fiscal year 2006.'' and all that follows and 
     inserting ``each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011''.
       (b) Funding of Discretionary Grants.--Section 437(a) of 
     such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(a)) is amended by striking ``2002 
     through 2006'' and inserting ``2007 through 2011''.
       (c) Availability of Promoting Safe and Stable Families 
     Resources for Fiscal Year 2006.--
       (1) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the 
     United States not otherwise appropriated, there are 
     appropriated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
     $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 to carry out section 436 of 
     the Social Security Act, in addition to any amount otherwise 
     made available for fiscal year 2006 to carry out such 
     section.
       (2) Availability of funds.--Notwithstanding sections 
     434(b)(2) and 436(b)(3) of such Act, the amount appropriated 
     under paragraph (1) of this subsection--
       (A) shall remain available for expenditure through fiscal 
     year 2009 solely for the purpose described in section 
     436(b)(4)(B)(i) of such Act;
       (B) shall not be used to supplant any Federal funds paid 
     under part E of title IV of such Act that could be used for 
     that purpose; and
       (C) shall not be made available to any Indian tribe or 
     tribal consortium.
       (d) Elimination of Findings.--Section 430 of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629) is amended by striking all through ``(b) 
     Purpose.--The purpose'' and inserting the following:

     ``SEC. 430. PURPOSE.

       ``The purpose''.
       (e) Annual Budget Requests, Summaries, and Expenditure 
     Reports.--
       (1) In general.--Section 432(a)(8) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629b(a)(8)) is amended--
       (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(8)''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) provides that, not later than June 30 of each year, 
     the State will submit to the Secretary--
       ``(i) copies of forms CFS 101-Part I and CFS 101-Part II 
     (or any successor forms) that report on planned child and 
     family services expenditures by the agency for the 
     immediately succeeding fiscal year; and
       ``(ii) copies of forms CFS 101-Part I and CFS 101-Part II 
     (or any successor forms) that provide, with respect to the 
     programs authorized under this subpart and subpart 1 and, at 
     State option, other programs included on such forms, for the 
     most recent preceding fiscal year for which reporting of 
     actual expenditures is complete--
       ``(I) the numbers of families and of children served by the 
     State agency;
       ``(II) the population served by the State agency;
       ``(III) the geographic areas served by the State agency; 
     and
       ``(IV) the actual expenditures of funds provided to the 
     State agency; and''.
       (2) Annual submission of state reports to congress.--
     Section 432 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629b) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:
       ``(c) Annual Submission of State Reports to Congress.--The 
     Secretary shall compile the reports required under subsection 
     (a)(8)(B) and, not later than September 30 of each year, 
     submit such compilation to the Committee on Ways and Means of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of 
     the Senate.''.
       (3) Effective date; initial deadlines for submissions.--The 
     amendments made by this subsection take effect on the date of 
     enactment of this Act. Each State with an approved plan under 
     subpart 1 or 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security 
     Act shall make its initial submission of the forms required 
     under section 432(a)(8)(B) of the Social Security Act to the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services by June 30, 2007, and 
     the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit the 
     first compilation required under section 432(c) of the Social 
     Security Act by September 30, 2007.
       (f) Limitation on Administrative Cost Reimbursement.--
       (1) In general.--Section 434 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629d) 
     is amended--
       (A) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, subject to 
     subsection (d),'' after ``shall''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Limitation on Reimbursement for Administrative 
     Costs.--The Secretary shall not make a payment to a State 
     under this section with respect to expenditures for 
     administrative costs during a fiscal year, to the extent that 
     the total amount of the expenditures exceeds 10 percent of 
     the total expenditures of the State during the fiscal year 
     under the State plan approved under section 432.''.
       (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
     shall apply to expenditures made on or after October 1, 2007.

     SEC. 4. TARGETING OF PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES 
                   PROGRAM RESOURCES.

       (a) Support for Monthly Caseworker Visits.--
       (1) Reservation and use of funds.--Section 436(b) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:
       ``(4) Support for monthly caseworker visits.--
       ``(A) Reservation.--The Secretary shall reserve for 
     allotment in accordance with section 433(e)--
       ``(i) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       ``(ii) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       ``(iii) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
       ``(B) Use of funds.--
       ``(i) In general.--A State to which an amount is paid from 
     amounts reserved under subparagraph (A) shall use the amount 
     to support monthly caseworker visits with children who are in 
     foster care under the responsibility of the State, with a 
     primary emphasis on activities designed to improve caseworker 
     retention, recruitment, training, and ability to access the 
     benefits of technology.
       ``(ii) Nonsupplantation.--A State to which an amount is 
     paid from amounts reserved pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall 
     not use the amount to supplant any Federal funds paid to the 
     State under part E that could be used as described in clause 
     (i).''.
       (2) Allotment of funds.--Section 433 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629c) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (d), by inserting ``subsection (a), (b), 
     or (c) of'' before ``this section'' the 1st and 2nd places it 
     appears; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Allotment of Funds Reserved To Support Monthly 
     Caseworker Visits.--
       ``(1) Territories.--From the amount reserved pursuant to 
     section 436(b)(4)(A) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     allot to each jurisdiction specified in subsection (b) of 
     this section, that has provided to the Secretary such 
     documentation as may be necessary to verify that the 
     jurisdiction has complied with section 436(b)(4)(B)(ii) 
     during the fiscal year, an amount determined in the same 
     manner as the allotment to each of such jurisdictions is 
     determined under section 423 (without regard to the initial 
     allotment of $70,000 to each State).
       ``(2) Other states.--From the amount reserved pursuant to 
     section 436(b)(4)(A) for any fiscal year that remains after 
     applying paragraph (1) of this subsection for the fiscal 
     year, the Secretary shall allot to each State (other than an 
     Indian tribe) not specified in subsection (b) of this 
     section, that has provided to the Secretary such 
     documentation as may be necessary to verify that the State 
     has complied with section 436(b)(4)(B)(ii) during the fiscal 
     year, an amount equal to such remaining amount multiplied by 
     the food stamp percentage of the State (as defined in 
     subsection (c)(2) of this section) for the fiscal year, 
     except that in applying subsection (c)(2)(A) of this section, 
     `subsection (e)(2)' shall be substituted for `such paragraph 
     (1)'.''.
       (3) Payments to states.--Section 434(a) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629d(a)), as amended by section 3(f)(1) of this Act, 
     is amended by striking ``the lesser of--'' and all that 
     follows and inserting the following: ``the sum of--
       ``(1) the lesser of--
       ``(A) 75 percent of the total expenditures by the State for 
     activities under the plan during the fiscal year or the 
     immediately succeeding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the allotment of the State under subsection (a), (b), 
     or (c) of section 433, whichever is applicable, for the 
     fiscal year; and
       ``(2) the lesser of--
       ``(A) 75 percent of the total expenditures by the State in 
     accordance with section 436(b)(4)(B) during the fiscal year 
     or the immediately succeeding fiscal year; or
       ``(B) the allotment of the State under section 433(e) for 
     the fiscal year.''.
       (b) Support for Targeted Grants To Increase the Well Being 
     Of, and To Improve the Permanency Outcomes For, Children 
     Affected by Methamphetamine or Other Substance Abuse.--
       (1) Reservation of funds.--Section 436(b) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629f(b)), as amended by subsection (a)(1) of this 
     section, is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Regional partnership grants.--The Secretary shall 
     reserve for awarding grants under section 437(f)--
       ``(A) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
       ``(B) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       ``(C) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
       ``(D) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 and 
     2011.''.
       (2) Targeted grants.--
       (A) In general.--Section 437 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(f) Targeted Grants To Increase the Well Being Of, and To 
     Improve the Permanency Outcomes For, Children Affected by 
     Methamphetamine or Other Substance Abuse.--
       ``(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to 
     authorize the Secretary to make competitive grants to 
     regional partnerships to provide, through interagency 
     collaboration and integration of programs and services, 
     services and activities that are designed to increase the 
     well-being of, improve permanency outcomes for, and enhance 
     the safety of children who are in an out-of-home placement or 
     are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home placement as a 
     result of a parent's or caretaker's methamphetamine or other 
     substance abuse.
       ``(2) Regional partnership defined.--
       ``(A) In general.--In this subsection, the term `regional 
     partnership' means a collaborative agreement (which may be 
     established on an interstate or intrastate basis) entered 
     into by at least 2 of the following:
       ``(i) The State child welfare agency that is responsible 
     for the administration of the State plan under this part and 
     part E.
       ``(ii) The State agency responsible for administering the 
     substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant provided 
     under subpart II of part B of title XIX of the Public Health 
     Service Act.
       ``(iii) An Indian tribe or tribal consortium.
       ``(iv) Nonprofit child welfare service providers.
       ``(v) For-profit child welfare service providers.
       ``(vi) Community health service providers.
       ``(vii) Community mental health providers.
       ``(viii) Local law enforcement agencies.

[[Page H7377]]

       ``(ix) Judges and court personnel.
       ``(x) Juvenile justice officials.
       ``(xi) School personnel.
       ``(xii) Tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortia of 
     such agencies).
       ``(xiii) Any other providers, agencies, personnel, 
     officials, or entities that are related to the provision of 
     child and family services under this subpart.
       ``(B) Requirements.--
       ``(i) State child welfare agency partner.--Subject to 
     clause (ii)(I), a regional partnership entered into for 
     purposes of this subsection shall include the State child 
     welfare agency that is responsible for the administration of 
     the State plan under this part and part E as 1 of the 
     partners.
       ``(ii) Regional partnerships entered into by indian tribes 
     or tribal consortia.--If an Indian tribe or tribal consortium 
     enters into a regional partnership for purposes of this 
     subsection, the Indian tribe or tribal consortium--

       ``(I) may (but is not required to) include such State child 
     welfare agency as a partner in the collaborative agreement; 
     and
       ``(II) may not enter into a collaborative agreement only 
     with tribal child welfare agencies (or a consortium of such 
     agencies).

       ``(iii) No state agency only partnerships.--If a State 
     agency described in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A) 
     enters into a regional partnership for purposes of this 
     subsection, the State agency may not enter into a 
     collaborative agreement only with the other State agency 
     described in such clause (i) or (ii).
       ``(3) Authority to award grants.--
       ``(A) In general.--In addition to amounts authorized to be 
     appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall 
     award grants under this subsection, from the amounts reserved 
     for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 under section 
     436(b)(5), to regional partnerships that satisfy the 
     requirements of this subsection, in amounts that are not less 
     than $500,000 and not more than $1,000,000 per grant per 
     fiscal year.
       ``(B) Required minimum period of approval.--A grant shall 
     be awarded under this subsection for a period of not less 
     than 2, and not more than 5, fiscal years.
       ``(4) Application requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
     under this subsection, a regional partnership shall submit to 
     the Secretary a written application containing the following:
       ``(A) Recent evidence demonstrating that methamphetamine or 
     other substance abuse has had a substantial impact on the 
     number of out-of-home placements for children, or the number 
     of children who are at risk of being placed in an out-of-home 
     placement, in the partnership region.
       ``(B) A description of the goals and outcomes to be 
     achieved during the funding period for the grant that will--
       ``(i) enhance the well-being of children receiving services 
     or taking part in activities conducted with funds provided 
     under the grant;
       ``(ii) lead to safety and permanence for such children; and
       ``(iii) decrease the number of out-of-home placements for 
     children, or the number of children who are at risk of being 
     placed in an out-of-home placement, in the partnership 
     region.
       ``(C) A description of the joint activities to be funded in 
     whole or in part with the funds provided under the grant, 
     including the sequencing of the activities proposed to be 
     conducted under the funding period for the grant.
       ``(D) A description of the strategies for integrating 
     programs and services determined to be appropriate for the 
     child and where appropriate, the child's family.
       ``(E) A description of the strategies for--
       ``(i) collaborating with the State child welfare agency 
     described in paragraph (2)(A)(i) (unless that agency is the 
     lead applicant for the regional partnership); and
       ``(ii) consulting, as appropriate, with--

       ``(I) the State agency described in paragraph (2)(A)(ii); 
     and
       ``(II) the State law enforcement and judicial agencies.

     To the extent the Secretary determines that the requirement 
     of this subparagraph would be inappropriate to apply to a 
     regional partnership that includes an Indian tribe, tribal 
     consortium, or a tribal child welfare agency or a consortium 
     of such agencies, the Secretary may exempt the regional 
     partnership from the requirement.
       ``(F) Such other information as the Secretary may require.
       ``(5) Use of funds.--Funds made available under a grant 
     made under this subsection shall only be used for services or 
     activities that are consistent with the purpose of this 
     subsection and may include the following:
       ``(A) Family-based comprehensive long-term substance abuse 
     treatment services.
       ``(B) Early intervention and preventative services.
       ``(C) Children and family counseling.
       ``(D) Mental health services.
       ``(E) Parenting skills training.
       ``(F) Replication of successful models for providing 
     family-based comprehensive long-term substance abuse 
     treatment services.
       ``(6) Matching requirement.--
       ``(A) Federal share.--A grant awarded under this subsection 
     shall be available to pay a percentage share of the costs of 
     services provided or activities conducted under such grant, 
     not to exceed--
       ``(i) 85 percent for the first and second fiscal years for 
     which the grant is awarded to a recipient;
       ``(ii) 80 percent for the third and fourth such fiscal 
     years; and
       ``(iii) 75 percent for the fifth such fiscal year.
       ``(B) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of the cost 
     of services provided or activities conducted under a grant 
     awarded under this subsection may be in cash or in kind. In 
     determining the amount of the non-Federal share, the 
     Secretary may attribute fair market value to goods, services, 
     and facilities contributed from non-Federal sources.
       ``(7) Considerations in awarding grants.--In awarding 
     grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall--
       ``(A) take into consideration the extent to which applicant 
     regional partnerships--
       ``(i) demonstrate that methamphetamine or other substance 
     abuse by parents or caretakers has had a substantial impact 
     on the number of out-of-home placements for children, or the 
     number of children who are at risk of being placed in an out-
     of-home placement, in the partnership region;
       ``(ii) have limited resources for addressing the needs of 
     children affected by such abuse;
       ``(iii) have a lack of capacity for, or access to, 
     comprehensive family treatment services; and
       ``(iv) demonstrate a plan for sustaining the services 
     provided by or activities funded under the grant after the 
     conclusion of the grant period; and
       ``(B) after taking such factors into consideration, give 
     greater weight to awarding grants to regional partnerships 
     that propose to address methamphetamine abuse and addiction 
     in the partnership region (alone or in combination with other 
     drug abuse and addiction) and which demonstrate that 
     methamphetamine abuse and addiction (alone or in combination 
     with other drug abuse and addiction) is adversely affecting 
     child welfare in the partnership region.
       ``(8) Performance indicators.--
       ``(A) In general.--Not later than 9 months after the date 
     of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
     establish indicators that will be used to assess periodically 
     the performance of the grant recipients under this subsection 
     in using funds made available under such grants to achieve 
     the purpose of this subsection.
       ``(B) Consultation required.--In establishing the 
     performance indicators required by subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary shall consult with the following:
       ``(i) The Assistant Secretary for the Administration for 
     Children and Families.
       ``(ii) The Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental 
     Health Services Administration.
       ``(iii) Representatives of States in which a State agency 
     described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (2)(A) is a 
     member of a regional partnership that is a grant recipient 
     under this subsection.
       ``(iv) Representatives of Indian tribes, tribal consortia, 
     or tribal child welfare agencies that are members of a 
     regional partnership that is a grant recipient under this 
     subsection.
       ``(9) Reports.--
       ``(A) Grantee reports.--
       ``(i) Annual report.--Not later than September 30 of the 
     first fiscal year in which a recipient of a grant under this 
     subsection is paid funds under the grant, and annually 
     thereafter until September 30 of the last fiscal year in 
     which the recipient is paid funds under the grant, the 
     recipient shall submit to the Secretary a report on the 
     services provided or activities carried out during that 
     fiscal year with such funds. The report shall contain such 
     information as the Secretary determines is necessary to 
     provide an accurate description of the services provided or 
     activities conducted with such funds.
       ``(ii) Incorporation of information related to performance 
     indicators.--Each recipient of a grant under this subsection 
     shall incorporate into the first annual report required by 
     clause (i) that is submitted after the establishment of 
     performance indicators under paragraph (8), information 
     required in relation to such indicators.
       ``(B) Reports to congress.--On the basis of the reports 
     submitted under subparagraph (A), the Secretary annually 
     shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 
     a report on--
       ``(i) the services provided and activities conducted with 
     funds provided under grants awarded under this subsection;
       ``(ii) the performance indicators established under 
     paragraph (8); and
       ``(iii) the progress that has been made in addressing the 
     needs of families with methamphetamine or other substance 
     abuse problems who come to the attention of the child welfare 
     system and in achieving the goals of child safety, 
     permanence, and family stability.''.
       (B) Conforming amendments.--Section 437 of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629g) is amended--
       (i) in the section heading, by inserting ``AND TARGETED'' 
     after ``DISCRETIONARY''; and
       (ii) in subsection (e), by striking ``this section'' and 
     inserting ``subsection (a)''.
       (c) Evaluation, Research, and Technical Assistance With 
     Respect to Targeted Program Resources.--Section 435(c) of 
     such Act (42 U.S.C. 629e(c)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(c) Evaluation, Research, and Technical Assistance With 
     Respect to Targeted Program Resources.--Of the amount 
     reserved under section 436(b)(1) for a fiscal year, the 
     Secretary shall use not less than--
       ``(1) $1,000,000 for evaluations, research, and providing 
     technical assistance with respect to supporting monthly 
     caseworker visits with children who are in foster care under 
     the responsibility of the State, in accordance with section 
     436(b)(4)(B)(i); and
       ``(2) $1,000,000 for evaluations, research, and providing 
     technical assistance with respect to grants under section 
     437(f).''.

     SEC. 5. ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO INDIAN TRIBES.

       (a) Increase in Set-Asides for Indian Tribes.--
       (1) Mandatory grants.--Section 436(b)(3) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(3)) is amended by striking 
     ``1'' and inserting ``3''.

[[Page H7378]]

       (2) Discretionary grants.--Section 437(b)(3) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629g(b)(3)) is amended by striking ``2'' and 
     inserting ``3''.
       (3) Effect of reservation of funds for targeted program 
     resources on amounts reserved for indian tribes.--Section 
     436(b)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629b(b)(3)) is amended by 
     striking ``The'' and inserting ``After applying paragraphs 
     (4) and (5) (but before applying paragraphs (1) or (2)), 
     the''.
       (b) Authority for Tribal Consortia To Receive Allotments.--
       (1) Allotment of mandatory funds.--
       (A) In general.--Section 433(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629c(a)) is amended--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or Tribal 
     Consortia'' after ``Tribes''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``If 
     a consortium of Indian tribes submits a plan approved under 
     this subpart, the Secretary shall allot to the consortium an 
     amount equal to the sum of the allotments determined for each 
     Indian tribe that is part of the consortium.''.
       (B) Conforming amendment.--Section 436(b)(3) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(3)) is amended--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortia'' after ``tribes''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``or tribal consortia'' after ``Indian 
     tribes''.
       (2) Allotment of any discretionary funds.--Section 437 of 
     such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (b)(3)--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortia'' after ``tribes''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``or tribal consortia'' after ``Indian 
     tribes''; and
       (B) in subsection (c)(1)--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortia'' after ``tribes''; and
       (ii) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``If 
     a consortium of Indian tribes applies and is approved for a 
     grant under this section, the Secretary shall allot to the 
     consortium an amount equal to the sum of the allotments 
     determined for each Indian tribe that is part of the 
     consortium.''.
       (3) Additional conforming amendments.--
       (A) Plans of indian tribes.--Section 432(b)(2) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629b(b)(2)) is amended--
       (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortia'' after ``tribes'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortium'' after ``Indian tribe'' each place it appears; 
     and
       (iii) in subparagraph (B)--

       (I) by inserting ``or tribal consortium'' after ``Indian 
     tribe''; and
       (II) by inserting ``and tribal consortia'' after ``Indian 
     tribes''.

       (B) Direct payments to tribal organizations.--Section 
     434(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629d(c)) is amended--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or Tribal 
     Consortia'' after ``Tribes''; and
       (ii) by inserting ``or tribal consortium'' after ``Indian 
     tribe'' the first place it appears; and
       (iii) by inserting ``or in the case of a payment to a 
     tribal consortium, such tribal organizations of, or entity 
     established by, the Indian tribes that are part of the 
     consortium as the consortium shall designate'' before the 
     period.
       (C) Evaluations; research; technical assistance.--Section 
     435(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629e(d)) is amended in the 
     matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting ``or tribal 
     consortia'' after ``Indian tribes''.
       (c) Collection of Data on Tribal Promoting Safe and Stable 
     Families Plans.--Section 432(b)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629b(b)(2)(A)), as amended by subsection (b)(3)(A)(ii) of 
     this section, is amended by striking ``any requirement of 
     this section that the Secretary determines'' and inserting 
     ``the requirements of subsection (a)(4) of this section to 
     the extent that the Secretary determines those 
     requirements''.

     SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CHILD WELFARE SERVICES PROGRAM.

       (a) Funding.--Subpart 1 of part B of title IV of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 620-628b) is amended by striking 
     sections 420 and 425 and inserting after section 424 the 
     following:


            ``LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

       ``Sec. 425. To carry out this subpart, there are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than 
     $325,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.''.
       (b) Purpose of Program.--Such subpart is further amended--
       (1) by striking section 424;
       (2) by redesignating sections 421 and 423 as sections 423 
     and 424, respectively, and by transferring section 423 (as so 
     redesignated) so that it appears after section 422; and
       (3) by inserting after the subpart heading the following:


                               ``PURPOSE

       ``Sec. 421. The purpose of this subpart is to promote State 
     flexibility in the development and expansion of a coordinated 
     child and family services program that utilizes community-
     based agencies and ensures all children are raised in safe, 
     loving families, by--
       ``(1) protecting and promoting the welfare of all children;
       ``(2) preventing the neglect, abuse, or exploitation of 
     children;
       ``(3) supporting at-risk families through services which 
     allow children, where appropriate, to remain safely with 
     their families or return to their families in a timely 
     manner;
       ``(4) promoting the safety, permanence, and well-being of 
     children in foster care and adoptive families; and
       ``(5) providing training, professional development and 
     support to ensure a well-qualified child welfare 
     workforce.''.
       (c) Modification of State Plan Requirements.--Section 422 
     of such Act (42 U.S.C. 622) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) by striking paragraphs (3) through (5) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(3) include a description of the services and activities 
     which the State will fund under the State program carried out 
     pursuant to this subpart, and how the services and activities 
     will achieve the purpose of this subpart;'';
       (B) by striking paragraph (6) and inserting after paragraph 
     (3) (as added by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph) the 
     following:
       ``(4) contain a description of--
       ``(A) the steps the State will take to provide child 
     welfare services statewide and to expand and strengthen the 
     range of existing services and develop and implement services 
     to improve child outcomes; and
       ``(B) the child welfare services staff development and 
     training plans of the State;'';
       (C) by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (9) as 
     paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively;
       (D) in paragraph (10)--
       (i) by striking subparagraph (A);
       (ii) in subparagraph (B)(iii)(II), by inserting ``, which 
     may include a residential educational program'' after ``in 
     some other planned, permanent living arrangement'';
       (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph 
     (A); and
       (iv) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting after 
     subparagraph (A) the following:
       ``(B) has in effect policies and administrative and 
     judicial procedures for children abandoned at or shortly 
     after birth (including policies and procedures providing for 
     legal representation of the children) which enable permanent 
     decisions to be made expeditiously with respect to the 
     placement of the children;'';
       (E) in paragraph (14), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (F) in paragraph (15), by striking the period and inserting 
     a semicolon;
       (G) by redesignating paragraphs (10) through (15) as 
     paragraphs (8) through (13), respectively; and
       (H) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(14) not later than October 1, 2007, include assurances 
     that not more than 10 percent of the expenditures of the 
     State with respect to activities funded from amounts provided 
     under this subpart will be for administrative costs;
       ``(15) describe how the State actively consults with and 
     involves physicians or other appropriate medical 
     professionals in--
       ``(A) assessing the health and well-being of children in 
     foster care under the responsibility of the State; and
       ``(B) determining appropriate medical treatment for the 
     children; and
       ``(16) provide that, not later than 1 year after the date 
     of the enactment of this paragraph, the State shall have in 
     place procedures providing for how the State programs 
     assisted under this subpart, subpart 2 of this part, or part 
     E would respond to a disaster, in accordance with criteria 
     established by the Secretary which should include how a State 
     would--
       ``(A) identify, locate, and continue availability of 
     services for children under State care or supervision who are 
     displaced or adversely affected by a disaster;
       ``(B) respond, as appropriate, to new child welfare cases 
     in areas adversely affected by a disaster, and provide 
     services in those cases;
       ``(C) remain in communication with caseworkers and other 
     essential child welfare personnel who are displaced because 
     of a disaster;
       ``(D) preserve essential program records; and
       ``(E) coordinate services and share information with other 
     States.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this subpart:
       ``(1) Administrative costs.--The term `administrative 
     costs' means costs for the following, but only to the extent 
     incurred in administering the State plan developed pursuant 
     to this subpart: procurement, payroll management, personnel 
     functions (other than the portion of the salaries of 
     supervisors attributable to time spent directly supervising 
     the provision of services by caseworkers), management, 
     maintenance and operation of space and property, data 
     processing and computer services, accounting, budgeting, 
     auditing, and travel expenses (except those related to the 
     provision of services by caseworkers or the oversight of 
     programs funded under this subpart).
       ``(2) Other terms.--For definitions of other terms used in 
     this part, see section 475.''.
       (d) Provisions Relating to State Allotments.--Section 423 
     of such Act, as so redesignated by subsection (b)(2) of this 
     section, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by inserting ``In General.--'' after ``(a)''; and
       (B) by striking ``420'' and inserting ``425''; and
       (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``Determination of 
     State Allotment Percentages.--'' after ``(b)'';
       (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``Promulgation of State 
     Allotment Percentages.--'' after ``(c)'';
       (4) in subsection (d)--
       (A) by inserting ``United States Defined.--'' after 
     ``(d)''; and
       (B) by striking ``fifty'' and inserting ``50''; and
       (5) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Reallotment of Funds.--
       ``(1) In general.--The amount of any allotment to a State 
     for a fiscal year under the preceding provisions of this 
     section which the State certifies to the Secretary will not 
     be required for carrying out the State plan developed as 
     provided in section 422 shall be available for reallotment 
     from time to time, on such dates as the Secretary may fix, to 
     other States which the Secretary determines--

[[Page H7379]]

       ``(A) need sums in excess of the amounts allotted to such 
     other States under the preceding provisions of this section, 
     in carrying out their State plans so developed; and
       ``(B) will be able to so use such excess sums during the 
     fiscal year.
       ``(2) Considerations.--The Secretary shall make the 
     reallotments on the basis of the State plans so developed, 
     after taking into consideration--
       ``(A) the population under 21 years of age;
       ``(B) the per capita income of each of such other States as 
     compared with the population under 21 years of age; and
       ``(C) the per capita income of all such other States with 
     respect to which such a determination by the Secretary has 
     been made.
       ``(3) Amounts reallotted to a state deemed part of state 
     allotment.--Any amount so reallotted to a State is deemed 
     part of the allotment of the State under this section.''.
       (e) Payments to States; Limitations on Use of Funds.--
       (1) Limitations related to state expenditures for child 
     care, foster care maintenance payments, and adoption 
     assistance payments.--Section 424 of such Act, as so 
     redesignated by subsection (b)(2) of this section, is amended 
     by striking subsections (c) and (d) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(c) Limitation on Use of Federal Funds for Child Care, 
     Foster Care Maintenance Payments, or Adoption Assistance 
     Payments.--The total amount of Federal payments under this 
     subpart for a fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2007, 
     that may be used by a State for expenditures for child care, 
     foster care maintenance payments, or adoption assistance 
     payments shall not exceed the total amount of such payments 
     for fiscal year 2005 that were so used by the State.
       ``(d) Limitation on Use by States of Non-Federal Funds for 
     Foster Care Maintenance Payments To Match Federal Funds.--For 
     any fiscal year beginning after September 30, 2007, State 
     expenditures of non-Federal funds for foster care maintenance 
     payments shall not be considered to be expenditures under the 
     State plan developed under this subpart for the fiscal year 
     to the extent that the total of such expenditures for the 
     fiscal year exceeds the total of such expenditures under the 
     State plan developed under this subpart for fiscal year 
     2005.''.
       (2) Limitation on administrative cost reimbursement.--
       (A) In general.--Section 424 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 623), 
     as so redesignated by subsection (b)(2) of this section, is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Limitation on Reimbursement for Administrative 
     Costs.--A payment may not be made to a State under this 
     section with respect to expenditures during a fiscal year for 
     administrative costs, to the extent that the total amount of 
     the expenditures exceeds 10 percent of the total expenditures 
     of the State during the fiscal year for activities funded 
     from amounts provided under this subpart.''.
       (B) Effective date.--The amendment made by subparagraph (A) 
     shall apply to expenditures made on or after October 1, 2007.
       (f) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Section 428(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 628(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``421'' and inserting ``423''.
       (2) Section 429 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 628a) is amended--
       (A)(i) by striking the following:


                      ``CHILD WELFARE TRAINEESHIPS

       ``Sec. 429. The Secretary''; and
       (ii) inserting the following:
       ``(c) Child Welfare Traineeships.--The Secretary''; and
       (B) by transferring the provision to the end of section 426 
     (as amended by section 11(b) of this Act).
       (3) Section 429A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 628b) is 
     redesignated as section 429.
       (4) Section 433(b) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629c(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``421'' and inserting ``423''.
       (5) Section 437(c)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(c)(2)) is 
     amended by striking ``421'' and inserting ``423''.
       (6) Section 472(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 672(d)) is 
     amended by striking ``422(b)(10)'' and inserting 
     ``422(b)(8)''.
       (7) Section 473A(f) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 673b(f)) is 
     amended by striking ``423'' and inserting ``424''.
       (8) Section 1130(b)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a-
     9(b)(1)) is amended to read as follows:.
       ``(1) any provision of section 422(b)(8), or section 479; 
     or''.
       (9) Section 104(b)(3) of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 
     2000 (42 U.S.C. 14914(b)(3)) is amended by striking 
     ``422(b)(14) of the Social Security Act, as amended by 
     section 205 of this Act'' and inserting ``422(b)(12) of the 
     Social Security Act''.

     SEC. 7. MONTHLY CASEWORKER STANDARD.

       (a) State Plan Requirement.--Section 422(b) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)), as amended by section 6(c) 
     of this Act, is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (15);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (16) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(17) not later than October 1, 2007, describe the State 
     standards for the content and frequency of caseworker visits 
     for children who are in foster care under the responsibility 
     of the State, which, at a minimum, ensure that the children 
     are visited on a monthly basis and that the caseworker visits 
     are well-planned and focused on issues pertinent to case 
     planning and service delivery to ensure the safety, 
     permanency, and well-being of the children.''.
       (b) Enforcement.--Section 424 of the Social Security Act, 
     as so redesignated by section 6(b)(2) of this Act, is amended 
     by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e)(1) The Secretary may not make a payment to a State 
     under this subpart for a period in fiscal year 2008, unless 
     the State has provided to the Secretary data which shows, for 
     fiscal year 2007--
       ``(A) the percentage of children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State who were visited on a monthly 
     basis by the caseworker handling the case of the child; and
       ``(B) the percentage of the visits that occurred in the 
     residence of the child.
       ``(2)(A) Based on the data provided by a State pursuant to 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary, in consultation with the State, 
     shall establish, not later than June 30, 2008, an outline of 
     the steps to be taken to ensure, by October 1, 2011, that at 
     least 90 percent of the children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State are visited by their caseworkers 
     on a monthly basis, and that the majority of the visits occur 
     in the residence of the child. The outline shall include 
     target percentages to be reached each fiscal year, and should 
     include a description of how the steps will be implemented. 
     The steps may include activities designed to improve 
     caseworker retention, recruitment, training, and ability to 
     access the benefits of technology.
       ``(B) Beginning October 1, 2008, if the Secretary 
     determines that a State has not made the requisite progress 
     in meeting the goal described in subparagraph (A) of this 
     paragraph, then the percentage that shall apply for purposes 
     of subsection (a) of this section for the period involved 
     shall be the percentage set forth in such subsection (a) 
     reduced by--
       ``(i) 1, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short of the target percentage established for 
     the State for the period pursuant to such subparagraph is 
     less than 10;
       ``(ii) 3, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 10 and less than 20; or
       ``(iii) 5, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 20.''.
       (c) Reports.--
       (1) Progress report.--Not later than March 31, 2010, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the 
     Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives 
     and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report that 
     outlines the progress made by the States in meeting the 
     standards referred to in section 422(b)(17) of the Social 
     Security Act, and offers recommendations developed in 
     consultation with State officials responsible for 
     administering child welfare programs and members of the State 
     legislature to assist States in their efforts to ensure that 
     foster children are visited on a monthly basis.
       (2) Inclusion of information on caseworker visits in annual 
     child well-being outcome reports.--Section 479A of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 679b) is amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (4);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) include in the report submitted pursuant to paragraph 
     (5) for fiscal year 2007 or any succeeding fiscal year, 
     State-by-State data on--
       ``(A) the percentage of children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State who were visited on a monthly 
     basis by the caseworker handling the case of the child; and
       ``(B) the percentage of the visits that occurred in the 
     residence of the child.''.

     SEC. 8. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM FOR MENTORING CHILDREN OF 
                   PRISONERS.

       (a) In General.--Section 439 of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629i) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c), by striking ``2002 through 2006'' 
     and inserting ``2007 through 2011''; and
       (2) in subsection (h)--
       (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.--To 
     carry out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary such sums as may be necessary 
     for fiscal years 2007 through 2011.''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``2.5'' and inserting 
     ``4''.
       (b) Service Delivery Demonstration Project.--
       (1) In general.--Section 439 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629i), 
     as amended by subsection (a) of this section, is amended--
       (A) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections 
     (h) and (i), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
       ``(g) Service Delivery Demonstration Project.--
       ``(1) Purpose; authority to enter into cooperative 
     agreement.--The Secretary shall enter into a cooperative 
     agreement with an eligible entity that meets the requirements 
     of paragraph (2) for the purpose of requiring the entity to 
     conduct a demonstration project consistent with this 
     subsection under which the entity shall--
       ``(A) identify children of prisoners in need of mentoring 
     services who have not been matched with a mentor by an 
     applicant awarded a grant under this section, with a priority 
     for identifying children who--
       ``(i) reside in an area not served by a recipient of a 
     grant under this section;
       ``(ii) reside in an area that has a substantial number of 
     children of prisoners;
       ``(iii) reside in a rural area; or
       ``(iv) are Indians;
       ``(B) provide the families of the children so identified 
     with--
       ``(i) a voucher for mentoring services that meets the 
     requirements of paragraph (5); and

[[Page H7380]]

       ``(ii) a list of the providers of mentoring services in the 
     area in which the family resides that satisfy the 
     requirements of paragraph (6); and
       ``(C) monitor and oversee the delivery of mentoring 
     services by providers that accept the vouchers.
       ``(2) Eligible entity.--
       ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), an eligible 
     entity under this subsection is an organization that the 
     Secretary determines, on a competitive basis--
       ``(i) has substantial experience--

       ``(I) in working with organizations that provide mentoring 
     services for children of prisoners; and
       ``(II) in developing quality standards for the 
     identification and assessment of mentoring programs for 
     children of prisoners; and

       ``(ii) submits an application that satisfies the 
     requirements of paragraph (3).
       ``(B) Limitation.--An organization that provides mentoring 
     services may not be an eligible entity for purposes of being 
     awarded a cooperative agreement under this subsection.
       ``(3) Application requirements.--To be eligible to be 
     awarded a cooperative agreement under this subsection, an 
     entity shall submit to the Secretary an application that 
     includes the following:
       ``(A) Qualifications.--Evidence that the entity--
       ``(i) meets the experience requirements of paragraph 
     (2)(A)(i); and
       ``(ii) is able to carry out--

       ``(I) the purposes of this subsection identified in 
     paragraph (1); and
       ``(II) the requirements of the cooperative agreement 
     specified in paragraph (4).

       ``(B) Service delivery plan.--
       ``(i) Distribution requirements.--Subject to clause (iii), 
     a description of the plan of the entity to ensure the 
     distribution of not less than--

       ``(I) 3,000 vouchers for mentoring services in the first 
     year in which the cooperative agreement is in effect with 
     that entity;
       ``(II) 8,000 vouchers for mentoring services in the second 
     year in which the agreement is in effect with that entity ; 
     and
       ``(III) 13,000 vouchers for mentoring services in any 
     subsequent year in which the agreement is in effect with that 
     entity.

       ``(ii) Satisfaction of priorities.--A description of how 
     the plan will ensure the delivery of mentoring services to 
     children identified in accordance with the requirements of 
     paragraph (1)(A).
       ``(iii) Secretarial authority to modify distribution 
     requirement.--The Secretary may modify the number of vouchers 
     specified in subclauses (I) through (III) of clause (i) to 
     take into account the availability of appropriations and the 
     need to ensure that the vouchers distributed by the entity 
     are for amounts that are adequate to ensure the provision of 
     mentoring services for a 12-month period.
       ``(C) Collaboration and cooperation.--A description of how 
     the entity will ensure collaboration and cooperation with 
     other interested parties, including courts and prisons, with 
     respect to the delivery of mentoring services under the 
     demonstration project.
       ``(D) Other.--Any other information that the Secretary may 
     find necessary to demonstrate the capacity of the entity to 
     satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
       ``(4) Cooperative agreement requirements.--A cooperative 
     agreement awarded under this subsection shall require the 
     eligible entity to do the following:
       ``(A) Identify quality standards for providers.--To work 
     with the Secretary to identify the quality standards that a 
     provider of mentoring services must meet in order to 
     participate in the demonstration project and which, at a 
     minimum, shall include criminal records checks for 
     individuals who are prospective mentors and shall prohibit 
     approving any individual to be a mentor if the criminal 
     records check of the individual reveals a conviction which 
     would prevent the individual from being approved as a foster 
     or adoptive parent under section 471(a)(20)(A).
       ``(B) Identify eligible providers.--To identify and compile 
     a list of those providers of mentoring services in any of the 
     50 States or the District of Columbia that meet the quality 
     standards identified pursuant to subparagraph (A).
       ``(C) Identify eligible children.--To identify children of 
     prisoners who require mentoring services, consistent with the 
     priorities specified in paragraph (1)(A).
       ``(D) Monitor and oversee delivery of mentoring services.--
     To satisfy specific requirements of the Secretary for 
     monitoring and overseeing the delivery of mentoring services 
     under the demonstration project, which shall include a 
     requirement to ensure that providers of mentoring services 
     under the project report data on the children served and the 
     types of mentoring services provided.
       ``(E) Records, reports, and audits.--To maintain any 
     records, make any reports, and cooperate with any reviews and 
     audits that the Secretary determines are necessary to oversee 
     the activities of the entity in carrying out the 
     demonstration project under this subsection.
       ``(F) Evaluations.--To cooperate fully with any evaluations 
     of the demonstration project, including collecting and 
     monitoring data and providing the Secretary or the 
     Secretary's designee with access to records and staff related 
     to the conduct of the project.
       ``(G) Limitation on administrative expenditures.--To ensure 
     that administrative expenditures incurred by the entity in 
     conducting the demonstration project with respect to a fiscal 
     year do not exceed the amount equal to 10 percent of the 
     amount awarded to carry out the project for that year.
       ``(5) Voucher requirements.--A voucher for mentoring 
     services provided to the family of a child identified in 
     accordance with paragraph (1)(A) shall meet the following 
     requirements:
       ``(A) Total payment amount; 12-month service period.--The 
     voucher shall specify the total amount to be paid a provider 
     of mentoring services for providing the child on whose behalf 
     the voucher is issued with mentoring services for a 12-month 
     period.
       ``(B) Periodic payments as services provided.--
       ``(i) In general.--The voucher shall specify that it may be 
     redeemed with the eligible entity by the provider accepting 
     the voucher in return for agreeing to provide mentoring 
     services for the child on whose behalf the voucher is issued.
       ``(ii) Demonstration of the provision of services.--A 
     provider that redeems a voucher issued by the eligible entity 
     shall receive periodic payments from the eligible entity 
     during the 12-month period that the voucher is in effect upon 
     demonstration of the provision of significant services and 
     activities related to the provision of mentoring services to 
     the child on whose behalf the voucher is issued.
       ``(6) Provider requirements.--In order to participate in 
     the demonstration project, a provider of mentoring services 
     shall--
       ``(A) meet the quality standards identified by the eligible 
     entity in accordance with paragraph (1);
       ``(B) agree to accept a voucher meeting the requirements of 
     paragraph (5) as payment for the provision of mentoring 
     services to a child on whose behalf the voucher is issued;
       ``(C) demonstrate that the provider has the capacity, and 
     has or will have nonfederal resources, to continue supporting 
     the provision of mentoring services to the child on whose 
     behalf the voucher is issued, as appropriate, after the 
     conclusion of the 12-month period during which the voucher is 
     in effect; and
       ``(D) if the provider is a recipient of a grant under this 
     section, demonstrate that the provider has exhausted its 
     capacity for providing mentoring services under the grant.
       ``(7) 3-year period; option for renewal.--
       ``(A) In general.--A cooperative agreement awarded under 
     this subsection shall be effective for a 3-year period.
       ``(B) Renewal.--The cooperative agreement may be renewed 
     for an additional period, not to exceed 2 years and subject 
     to any conditions that the Secretary may specify that are not 
     inconsistent with the requirements of this subsection or 
     subsection (i)(2)(B), if the Secretary determines that the 
     entity has satisfied the requirements of the agreement and 
     evaluations of the service delivery demonstration project 
     demonstrate that the voucher service delivery method is 
     effective in providing mentoring services to children of 
     prisoners.
       ``(8) Independent evaluation and report.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall enter into a 
     contract with an independent, private organization to 
     evaluate and prepare a report on the first 2 fiscal years in 
     which the demonstration project is conducted under this 
     subsection.
       ``(B) Deadline for report.--Not later than 90 days after 
     the end of the second fiscal year in which the demonstration 
     project is conducted under this subsection, the Secretary 
     shall submit the report required under subparagraph (A) to 
     the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate. 
     The report shall include--
       ``(i) the number of children as of the end of such second 
     fiscal year who received vouchers for mentoring services; and
       ``(ii) any conclusions regarding the use of vouchers for 
     the delivery of mentoring services for children of prisoners.
       ``(9) No effect on eligibility for other federal 
     assistance.--A voucher provided to a family under the 
     demonstration project conducted under this subsection shall 
     be disregarded for purposes of determining the eligibility 
     for, or the amount of, any other Federal or federally-
     supported assistance for the family.''.
       (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 439 of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629i), as amended by subsection (a) of this section 
     and paragraph (1) of this subsection, is amended--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Purpose'' and 
     inserting ``Purposes''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2)--

       (I) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Purpose'' and 
     inserting ``Purposes'';
       (II) by striking ``The purpose of this section is to 
     authorize the Secretary to make competitive'' and inserting 
     ``The purposes of this section are to authorize the 
     Secretary--

       ``(A) to make competitive'';
       (iii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; 
     and''; and
       (iv) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) to enter into on a competitive basis a cooperative 
     agreement to conduct a service delivery demonstration project 
     in accordance with the requirements of subsection (g).'';
       (B) in subsection (c)--
       (i) by striking ``(h)'' and inserting ``(i)''; and
       (ii) by striking ``(h)(2)'' and inserting ``(i)(2)'';
       (C) by amending subsection (h) (as so redesignated by 
     paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection) to read as follows:
       ``(h) Independent Evaluation; Reports.--
       ``(1) Independent evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct 
     by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement an independent 
     evaluation of the programs authorized under this section, 
     including the service delivery demonstration project 
     authorized under subsection (g).
       ``(2) Reports.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
     enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit a 
     report to the Congress that includes the following:
       ``(A) The characteristics of the mentoring programs funded 
     under this section.
       ``(B) The plan for implementation of the service delivery 
     demonstration project authorized under subsection (g).
       ``(C) A description of the outcome-based evaluation of the 
     programs authorized under this

[[Page H7381]]

     section that the Secretary is conducting as of that date of 
     enactment and how the evaluation has been expanded to include 
     an evaluation of the demonstration project authorized under 
     subsection (g).
       ``(D) The date on which the Secretary shall submit a final 
     report on the evaluation to the Congress.''; and
       (D) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated)--
       (i) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Reservation'' 
     and inserting ``Reservations''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2)--

       (I) by amending the paragraph heading to read as follows: 
     ``Reservations'';
       (II) by striking ``The'' and inserting the following:

       ``(A) Research, technical assistance, and evaluation.--
     The''; and

       (III) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(B) Service delivery demonstration project.--
       ``(i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), for purposes of 
     awarding a cooperative agreement to conduct the service 
     delivery demonstration project authorized under subsection 
     (g), the Secretary shall reserve not more than--

       ``(I) $5,000,000 of the amount appropriated under paragraph 
     (1) for the first fiscal year in which funds are to be 
     awarded for the agreement;
       ``(II) $10,000,000 of the amount appropriated under 
     paragraph (1) for the second fiscal year in which funds are 
     to be awarded for the agreement; and
       ``(III) $15,000,000 of the amount appropriated under 
     paragraph (1) for the third fiscal year in which funds are to 
     be awarded for the agreement.

       ``(ii) Assurance of funding for general program grants.--
     With respect to any fiscal year, no funds may be awarded for 
     a cooperative agreement under subsection (g), unless at least 
     $25,000,000 of the amount appropriated under paragraph (1) 
     for that fiscal year is used by the Secretary for making 
     grants under this section for that fiscal year.''.

     SEC. 9. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE COURT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

       Section 438 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629h) is 
     amended in each of subsections (c)(1)(A) and (d) by striking 
     ``2006'' and inserting ``2011''.

     SEC. 10. REQUIREMENT FOR FOSTER CARE PROCEEDING TO INCLUDE, 
                   IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE MANNER, CONSULTATION WITH 
                   THE CHILD THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE 
                   PROCEEDING.

       Section 475(5)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     675(5)(C)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``with respect to each such 
     child,'';
       (2) by striking ``and procedural safeguards shall also'' 
     and inserting ``(ii) procedural safeguards shall''; and
       (3) by inserting ``and (iii) procedural safeguards shall be 
     applied to assure that in any permanency hearing held with 
     respect to the child, including any hearing regarding the 
     transition of the child from foster care to independent 
     living, the court or administrative body conducting the 
     hearing consults, in an age-appropriate manner, with the 
     child regarding the proposed permanency or transition plan 
     for the child;'' after ``parents;''.

     SEC. 11. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Updating of Archaic Language.--
       (1) Section 423 of the Social Security Act, as so 
     redesignated by section 6(b)(2) of this Act--
       (A) is amended by striking ``per centum'' and inserting 
     ``percent''; and
       (B) by striking ``He'' and inserting ``The Secretary''.
       (2) Section 424(a) of such Act, as so redesignated by 
     section 6(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by striking ``per 
     centum'' and inserting ``percent''.
       (b) Elimination of Obsolete Provision.--Section 426 of such 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 626) is amended by striking subsection (b) and 
     redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).
       (c) Technical Correction.--Section 431(a)(6) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)(6)) is amended by striking ``1986'' and 
     inserting ``1996''.

     SEC. 12. EFFECTIVE DATES.

       (a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, 
     the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 
     1, 2006, and shall apply to payments under parts B and E of 
     title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar quarters 
     beginning on or after such date, without regard to whether 
     regulations to implement the amendments are promulgated by 
     such date.
       (b) Delay Permitted if State Legislation Required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to 
     subpart 1 of part B, or a State plan approved under subpart 2 
     of part B or part E, of title IV of the Social Security Act 
     to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments 
     made by this Act, the plan shall not be regarded as failing 
     to meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day 
     of the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the first regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.
       (c) Availability of Promoting Safe and Stable Families 
     Resources for Fiscal Year 2006.--Section 3(c) shall take 
     effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

       In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the 
     amendment of the House to the title of the Act, insert the 
     following: ``An Act to amend part B of title IV of the Social 
     Security Act to reauthorize the promoting safe and stable 
     families program, and for other purposes.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) and the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3525, the Child and 
Family Services Improvement Act of 2006. I would like to thank the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) and many other Members for 
their support of this bipartisan legislation.
  This legislation reauthorizes and improves oversight and 
accountability of numerous child protection programs that will provide 
about $4 billion during the next 5 years to help keep children safe.
  In recent years, the subcommittee I chair has held a dozen hearings 
on our Nation's child protection system. Every witness testified about 
the need to reform this broken system, which too often has lost track 
of children or placed them in homes where they suffered continued abuse 
and neglect.
  The legislation before us today includes a number of provisions 
designed to improve the monitoring of children in foster care and to 
hold States more accountable for the care they provide. This 
legislation will require States to ensure that at least 90 percent of 
children in foster care are visited on a monthly basis in response to 
research highlighting the importance of frequent visits in promoting 
child safety.
  This legislation also makes substantial improvements to the Child 
Welfare Services program. For example, this program now is permanently 
authorized. As a result, there has been little oversight and monitoring 
of the Child Welfare Services program in recent decades. This 
legislation will authorize this program through fiscal year 2011, 
ensuring that future Congresses examine this program, as improved in 
this bill, to make sure that it is operating properly.
  This legislation also stresses preventing abuse and neglect from 
occurring, not just managing its effects. Among other measures, it 
targets new funds to a key cause of child abuse and neglect: parental 
drug abuse, including by parents who abuse methamphetamine, which is a 
major concern in my own northern California congressional district. A 
total of $145 million in program funds will be available to community 
groups working with child welfare officials to help keep parents off 
drugs.
  Mr. Speaker, I have highlighted just a few of the many improvements 
this legislation will make to our Nation's child protection system, but 
there is still much more work to do. Children still linger in foster 
care waiting for permanent families. Every year, almost 24,000 of these 
youths age out of foster care without a family of their own. We will 
continue to work to ensure this system protects these children and 
promotes a brighter future. We also will continue our efforts to ensure 
that Federal taxpayer dollars are being spent properly within these 
programs. Today marks one step forward towards those goals.
  This legislation has the support of numerous organizations including 
the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Welfare League of America, and 
the National Indian Child Welfare Association.
  I thank all the Members and staff who have worked to bring this 
legislation to the floor today. The Child and Family Services 
Improvement Act is good legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to 
support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3525, the Child and 
Family Services Improvement Act of 2006. I'm pleased to be here today 
with the gentleman from Washington who is a cosponsor of this 
bipartisan legislation. I'd like to thank the many Members from both 
sides of the aisle for their support. This has been a truly bipartisan 
effort at all stages and I'm pleased we are here today to move

[[Page H7382]]

this legislation forward to the President for his signature.
  This legislation reauthorizes and improves numerous child protection 
programs that combined will provide about $4 billion during the next 5 
years to keep children safe. These programs are the Promoting Safe and 
Stable Families program, the Child Welfare Services program, the Court 
Improvement program, and the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program.
  S. 3525 takes an important step forward in our efforts to prevent 
child abuse and neglect by keeping families together and preventing, 
whenever possible, the unnecessary separation of children from their 
families. Over the past 6 years, the subcommittee that I chair has held 
12 hearings to explore our Nation's child protection system. Every 
witness has testified to improvements and reforms that are necessary to 
fix this broken system. The legislation before us today includes a 
number of provisions that address these issues we have heard so much 
about.
  First, time and time again we have seen stories of children lost by 
caseworkers, children who have gone missing in the foster care system, 
or even worse, children who have suffered abuse in homes in which they 
are placed. No one who sat through these hearings will soon forget the 
images of four boys in New Jersey who were starved by their adopted 
parents and were discovered by a neighbor rummaging for food in the 
trash. There is little doubt that States need to increase oversight and 
monitoring of these children and the legislation before us today will 
ensure that happens.
  S. 3525 will require all States to ensure at least 90 percent of 
children in foster care are visited on a monthly basis by their 
caseworker, and to ensure that the majority of these visits occur in 
the child's residence. States will work with the Department of Health 
and Human Services to establish targets to reach this goal by fiscal 
year 2012. In any year in which a State fails to reach its target, we 
will continue to make the State's full Federal allotment available to 
them but the State will need to increase their own spending in order to 
access those funds. Further, to help States achieve this standard, the 
legislation directs $95 million to be spent on activities that help 
ensure children are visited on a monthly basis and that these visits 
are well-planned and focused on assessing the child's safety and well-
being.
  Second, we have heard repeatedly how Federal funds for child welfare 
disproportionately assist kids after they have been removed from their 
homes, instead of preventing' the abuse or neglect that results in the 
need for their removal in the first place. This legislation will 
encourage States to invest more dollars in activities that keep 
families together when appropriate by limiting the amount that can fund 
basic administrative costs as well as by targeting these dollars for 
prevention and family support services. Also, States will be required 
to submit actual spending data for these programs, which will enhance 
our oversight of State activity on behalf of these children.
  And third, substance abuse by parents and caretakers, particularly 
abuse of methamphetamine, is having a substantial impact on the child 
welfare system in some areas. This legislation will direct $145 million 
for grants to law enforcement personnel, court personnel, and others 
involved with the child welfare system to partner with the State child 
welfare agency to devise solutions to this problem.
  I'm pleased this legislation continues the Mentoring Children of 
Prisoners program and provides for a voucher pilot program to expand 
the availability of mentoring services for children. There are 
approximately 4,000 mentoring organizations nationwide, and these 
vouchers will enable families to select an organization from which 
children can receive these important services. Few dispute the 
tremendous impact a mentor can have in the life of a troubled child. 
I'm very pleased we have reached an agreement to include this program, 
a priority of the Bush administration, in this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I've highlighted just a few of the many improvements 
this legislation will make to our Nation's child protection system. But 
there is still much more work to do. Children linger in foster care 
waiting for permanent families. Every year almost 20,000 of these 
youths age out of foster care without a family of their own. We will 
continue to work to ensure this system protects these children and 
promotes a brighter future for them. Today is a major step forward 
towards that goal.
  I thank all the Members and staff who have worked to bring this 
legislation to the floor today. This legislation has the support of 
numerous child welfare organizations, including the Children's Defense 
Fund, Catholic Charities USA, Mentor, and the National Indian Child 
Welfare Association.
  This is an excellent bill and I urge all my colleagues to support it. 
Attached below is a summary of the legislation.

Report Accompanying S. 3525, The Child and Family Services Improvement 
                        Act of 2006, as Amended


Prepared by the Staff of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and 
        the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance--September 26, 2006

                         Section 1--Short title

       ``The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006''

                          Section 2--Findings

       The legislation makes a number of findings regarding the 
     provision of services under two child welfare programs 
     authorized under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, the 
     Child Welfare Services (CWS) program and the Promoting Safe 
     and Stable Families (PSSF) program. The findings note the 
     importance of monthly caseworker visits in improving outcomes 
     for children. They also outline the relationship between the 
     entry of children into the child welfare system and their 
     parent's abuse of methamphetamine and other substances.

 Section 3--Reauthorization of the Promoting Safe and Stable Families 
                                Program

                              Current Law

       For fiscal year (FY) 2006, authorizes mandatory funding of 
     $345 million for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families 
     (PSSF) program (Title IV-B, Subpart 2 of the Social Security 
     Act) and discretionary funding of $200 million for each of 
     FYs 2002 through 2006.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation extends the mandatory PSSF funding 
     authorization of $345 million for five years (FYs 2007 
     through 2011) and extends the discretionary funding 
     authorization of $200 million for each of those same five 
     years. The legislation expands the reporting requirement to 
     include both proposed spending and actual spending under the 
     CWS and PSSF programs, and at State option, other programs 
     that support child abuse prevention activities and child 
     welfare services. The legislation also prohibits HHS from 
     making any payment of PSSF funds to a State for 
     administrative costs that exceed 10 percent of total program 
     expenditures (Federal and non-Federal) of a State.

                           Reason for Change

       The PSSF program supports four categories of services 
     provided to children and families: family preservation 
     services, community-based family support services, time-
     limited reunification services, and adoption promotion and 
     support services. The legislation recognizes the importance 
     of encouraging States to invest in these activities. Thus the 
     legislation provides for the $200 million increase in 
     mandatory PSSF funds over the next five years included in the 
     Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171). In total $345 
     million in mandatory funds (the recent $305 million allotment 
     of annual mandatory funds, plus a $40 million annual 
     increase provided under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) 
     will be provided in each of FYs 2007 through 2011.
       The legislation also will ensure better oversight and 
     accountability of spending under the CWS and PSSF programs by 
     requiring States to report on projected and actual spending 
     under these two programs. Specifically, data on actual 
     spending will help track State investments for the four 
     priorities of the PSSF program.

  Section 4--Targeting of Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program 
                               resources

                              Current Law

       Current law requires States to include assurances in their 
     PSSF plan that they will spend significant portions of their 
     PSSF funds in each of four priority areas: (1) family 
     preservation services; (2) community-based family support 
     services; (3) time-limited family reunification services; and 
     (4) adoption promotion and support services.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation retains the four priorities of PSSF while 
     targeting the additional $40 million per year provided under 
     the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 109-171) to two new 
     priorities: (1) support for monthly caseworker visits; and 
     (2) competitive grants to promote the well-being of children 
     in or at risk of placement in the child welfare system as a 
     result of their parent's abuse of methamphetamine or other 
     substances.
       The legislation provides a total of $95 million to States 
     to support monthly caseworker visits of children in foster 
     care under the responsibility of the State, with a primary 
     emphasis on activities designed to improve caseworker 
     retention, recruitment, training, and ability to access the 
     benefits of technology. States will receive $40 million from 
     FY 2006 PSSF funds (with these funds available through FY 
     2009), $5 million in FY 2008, $10 million in FY 2009, and $20 
     million in each of FYs 2010 and 2011 to support monthly 
     caseworker visits. States cannot use these funds to supplant 
     any Federal funds already paid to the State under the Title 
     IV-E program that could be used for the purposes outlined 
     above.
       To promote the well-being of children affected by their 
     parent's abuse of methamphetamine or other substances, the 
     legislation provides a total of $145 million to the Secretary 
     of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award 
     competitive grants to regional partnerships to pursue 
     innovative approaches to help children and families. Funding 
     will be $40 million in FY 2007, $35 million in FY 2008, $30 
     million in FY 2009, and $20 million in each of FYs 2010 and 
     2011. Partnerships must include the State

[[Page H7383]]

     child welfare agency or an Indian tribe and at least one 
     other eligible partner, including: child welfare service 
     providers (non-profit and for-profit), community providers of 
     health or mental health services, local law enforcement 
     agencies, judges and court personnel, juvenile justice 
     officials, school personnel, the State agency responsible for 
     administering the substance abuse prevention and treatment 
     block grant (authorized under Title XIX-B, Subpart II of the 
     Public Health Services Act), and any other providers, 
     agencies, personnel, officials or entities related to the 
     provision of child and family services. Grants of between 
     $500,000 and $1 million per year will be awarded for 2 to 
     5 year periods.
       A priority will be given to grant applications that propose 
     to combat methamphetamine abuse, given its substantial affect 
     on child welfare in some areas. Funding for the grants must 
     be used to support the purposes of this program, which may 
     include family-based comprehensive long-term substance abuse 
     treatment services, early intervention and prevention 
     services, mental health services, parent skills training, and 
     replication of successful models for providing family-based 
     comprehensive long-term substance abuse treatment services. 
     Grantees must provide a 15 percent match in the first and 
     second year, a 20 percent match in the third and fourth year, 
     and a 25 percent match in the fifth year. In-kind 
     contributions can qualify towards the match requirement. The 
     Secretary of HHS must consult with State leaders to develop 
     performance indicators and reporting is required of all grant 
     recipients.
       The legislation also redirects current PSSF research 
     funding to support evaluation, research, and technical 
     assistance related to the above two PSSF funding priorities. 
     In each of FYs 2007 through 2011, at least $1 million must be 
     spent for research and technical assistance activities that 
     support monthly caseworker visits and at least $1 million 
     must be spent for research and technical assistance 
     activities with respect to the competitive grant program to 
     promote the well-being of children in or at risk of placement 
     in the child welfare system due to a parent's abuse of 
     methamphetamine or other substances.

                           Reason for Change

       The targeting of funds to support monthly visits of foster 
     children is in response to research highlighting how monthly 
     visits lead to better outcomes for children. The Child and 
     Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) completed in each State found 
     a strong correlation between frequent caseworker visits with 
     children and positive outcomes for children, such as timely 
     achievement of permanency and other indicators of child well-
     being. However, despite the fact that nearly all States had 
     written standards suggesting monthly visits were State 
     policy, a December 2005 report completed by the HHS Office of 
     the Inspector General found that only 20 States were able to 
     produce reports showing whether caseworkers actually visited 
     children in foster care on at least a monthly basis. States 
     are encouraged to invest these resources in those activities 
     with proven effectiveness in supporting monthly caseworker 
     visits of foster children and should be cognizant that these 
     funds may not supplant what States already spend from their 
     Title IV-E programs for these activities. These resources are 
     intended to increase State investment in these important 
     areas.
       Parental substance abuse is a well-known problem affecting 
     the child welfare system, and the Office of Applied Studies 
     of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration reported that the number of new uses of 
     methamphetamines (meth) has increased 72 percent in the past 
     decade. A study by the National Association of Counties which 
     surveyed 300 counties in 13 States reported that meth abuse 
     is a major cause of child abuse and neglect. Forty percent of 
     all the child welfare officials in the survey reported an 
     increase in out-of-home placements due to meth abuse in 2005.

           Section 5--Allotments and Grants to Indian Tribes

                              Current Law

       Requires that 1 percent of all mandatory PSSF funds, and 2 
     percent of any discretionary appropriations for the PSSF 
     program, be set aside for tribal programs. (The minimum 
     tribal funding provided is $3.45 million and the maximum 
     annual tribal funding possible is $7.45 million.)
       Out of the tribal funds reserved, Indian tribes or tribal 
     organizations with an approved plan must be allotted PSSF 
     funds (based on the relative share of tribal persons under 
     age 21 but only among tribes or tribal organizations with 
     approved plans). The Secretary of HHS may exempt a tribe from 
     any plan requirement that it determines would be 
     inappropriate for that tribe (taking into account the 
     resources, needs, and other circumstances of that tribe). 
     However, no tribe or tribal organization may have an approved 
     plan (or receive funds) unless its allotment is equal to at 
     least $10,000. Funds allotted are paid directly to the tribal 
     organization of the Indian tribe to which the money is 
     allotted.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation increases the set-aside for tribal programs 
     to 3 percent of any discretionary funds appropriated. It also 
     increases the set-side for tribal programs to 3 percent of 
     the mandatory funds authorized and which remain after the 
     separate reservation of funds is made for (1) monthly 
     caseworker visits, and (2) competitive grants to combat 
     methamphetamine and other substance abuse. Therefore, the 
     minimum funding available per year for tribal programs would 
     be $9.15 million and the maximum funding would be $15.15 
     million. The legislation eliminates the ability of the 
     Secretary of HHS to exempt tribes from the PSSF plan 
     requirements related to nonsupplantation, data reporting, and 
     monitoring. However, the Secretary retains the ability to 
     waive for Indian tribes the PSSF requirement to invest 
     significant amounts of program funds in each of the four PSSF 
     activities and to spend no more than 10 percent of PSSF funds 
     on administrative costs.
       The legislation also permits tribal consortia to have 
     access to an allotment of PSSF funds (and related technical 
     assistance) on the same basis as such funds are currently 
     available to Indian tribes. A tribal consortium's allotment 
     is to be determined based on the number of tribal persons 
     under age 21 in each tribe that is a part of the tribal 
     consortium. If tribes choose to apply collectively as a 
     consortium, the population of tribal persons under age 21 for 
     each tribe would be combined in order to determine the size 
     of the grant to the consortium, including whether the 
     consortium meets the $10,000 eligibility threshold in the 
     Act. A tribal consortium could select which Indian tribal 
     organization (among the tribes in the consortium) would 
     receive the direct payment of its allotment.

                           Reason for Change

       The legislation recognizes the importance of assisting 
     tribes in their efforts to assist abused and neglected 
     children. The legislation significantly increases the amount 
     of funds provided to tribes and allows tribal consortia to 
     apply for PSSF funds. This step is being taken to encourage 
     the further development of tribal child welfare programs, 
     which largely serve severely disadvantaged communities and 
     families and can do so in a culturally appropriate manner. 
     Permanency outcomes for Indian children can be improved if 
     tribal consortia are able to have access to an allotment of 
     PSSF funding on the same basis as is currently available to 
     Indian tribes. This will facilitate smaller tribes' building 
     their own programs and will allow for administrative 
     efficiencies in tribal program administration.
       To collect additional data and ensure proper oversight of 
     these funds, tribes and tribal consortia interested in 
     applying for this substantial increase in PSSF funds will be 
     required to adhere to the same data and monitoring plan 
     requirements as States. This additional data will inform how 
     these funds have helped the tribes better ensure the safety, 
     permanency, and wellbeing of tribal children.

  Section 6--Improvements to the Child Welfare Services (CWS) Program

                              Current Law

       Up to $325 million annually is authorized on an indefinite 
     basis for the Child Welfare Services (CWS) program, which 
     provides funds to States to support a wide range of child 
     welfare activities. Federal funding represents 75 percent of 
     total funding for this program, and States are required to 
     contribute 25 percent of total CWS funding from State funds.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation maintains the annual discretionary 
     authorization level of $325 million per year but limits the 
     funding authorization to FYs 2007 through 2011. The 
     legislation also specifies that the purpose of the CWS 
     program for which funds may be expended is to promote State 
     flexibility in the development and expansion of a coordinated 
     child and family services program that utilizes community-
     based agencies and that ensures all children are raised in 
     safe, loving families, by: (1) protecting and promoting the 
     welfare of all children; (2) preventing the neglect, abuse, 
     or exploitation of children; (3) supporting at-risk families 
     through services which allow children, where appropriate, to 
     remain safely with their families or return to their families 
     in a timely manner; (4) promoting the safety, permanence and 
     well-being of children in foster care and adoptive families; 
     and (5) providing training, professional development and 
     support to ensure a well-qualified child welfare workforce.
       The legislation eliminates the plan requirements related to 
     child day care standards and those related to the use of 
     paraprofessionals or volunteers and restates and renumbers 
     the remaining provisions with generally the same intent. It 
     rewrites the provision concerning policies and procedures for 
     children abandoned shortly after birth to assert that a State 
     must have in effect administrative and judicial procedures 
     for children who are abandoned at or shortly after birth 
     (including policies and procedures providing for legal 
     representation of the children) to ensure expeditious 
     decisions can be made for their permanent placement. 
     Further, it clarifies that the State may include 
     residential educational programs as a living arrangement 
     for children for whom reunification, adoption, or 
     guardianship have been ruled out as permanency goals. This 
     provision does not undermine current State policies 
     regarding placement of children in adoptive homes and does 
     not eliminate the 25 bed policy.

[[Page H7384]]

       Beginning October 1, 2007 (i.e. the beginning of FY 2008), 
     the legislation limits administrative funding to 10 percent, 
     but defines administrative funds to exclude caseworker 
     services and supervision of such services. Also beginning in 
     FY 2008, the legislation limits how much each State can 
     expend from Federal CWS funding for foster care maintenance 
     payments, adoption assistance payments, or child day care to 
     what the State can show that it spent for such purposes in FY 
     2005. Further, beginning with FY 2008, States are not allowed 
     to use State spending on foster care maintenance payments to 
     meet the State matching requirement to receive Federal CWS 
     funds in amounts that exceed what the State spent from such 
     funds in FY 2005.
       The legislation also adds new requirements to the CWS plan 
     the State submits to (1) describe how the State consults with 
     and involves physicians and other appropriate medical 
     professionals in the assessment of children in foster care 
     and in determining appropriate medical treatment, and (2) 
     develop a plan on how to respond, track and continue care for 
     children receiving child welfare services in the event of a 
     disaster.

                           Reason for Change

       The legislation will reorganize and update the CWS program 
     and encourage more effective oversight. It also aligns the 
     program to be coterminous with the reauthorization of the 
     PSSF program to allow for better coordination between the two 
     programs. It will encourage States to invest funding in 
     prevention services, but allows each State to maintain in the 
     coming years its FY 2005 level of spending from Federal CWS 
     funds for foster care, adoption assistance and child care 
     purposes. It adds a new State planning requirement to ensure 
     consultation with medical professionals as well as State 
     planning to continue the availability of child welfare 
     services during a disaster.

                 Section 7--Monthly Caseworker Standard

                              Current Law

       There is no minimum Federal standard for monthly visits of 
     foster children in State custody.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation requires the State to update its CWS State 
     plan by October 1, 2007 to describe its standards for the 
     content and frequency of caseworker visits of foster children 
     in State custody, which at a minimum must ensure that 
     children are visited on a monthly basis and that the 
     caseworker visits are well-planned and focused on issues 
     pertinent to case planning and service delivery to ensure 
     the safety, pennanency, and well-being of children.
       The legislation also sets a minimum Federal standard 
     requiring each State and territory to achieve by October 1, 
     2011 monthly caseworker visits for at least 90 percent of 
     foster children in State custody, with the majority of those 
     visits occurring in the child's residence. Each State and 
     territory would be held accountable for its efforts and the 
     legislation prescribes a planning process to achieve this 
     goal. To receive FY 2008 CWS funds, States must submit to HHS 
     data for FY 2007 on the percentage of foster children visited 
     on a monthly basis by their caseworker and the percentage of 
     those visits that occurred in the child's residence. Based on 
     this data, HHS will work with each State to set target levels 
     for the State to meet to achieve a 90 percent monthly 
     visitation standard by FY 2012 and will establish these 
     target levels by June 30, 2008. Then, beginning in FY 2009, 
     States must achieve their annual goal for the percentage of 
     caseworker visits and the percentage of visits that occur in 
     the child's residence, or face an enhanced matching 
     requirement in order to draw down their full allotment of 
     Federal CWS funds. The share of non-Federal spending that is 
     required in a State that does not meet its visitation target 
     level in a year increases by a minimum of 1 percentage point, 
     up to a maximum of 5 percentage points, depending on the 
     degree to which the State has missed its target level; absent 
     the commitment of additional State funds, Federal funds would 
     be reduced to yield the modified State share of overall CWS 
     funding, consistent with the degree of the State's failure to 
     achieve its visitation target for that year.
       No later than March 31, 2010, HHS must submit to the House 
     Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on 
     Finance a report that outlines the progress States have made 
     in meeting their caseworker visitation standards and that 
     offers recommendations, developed in consultation with State 
     administrators of child welfare programs and members of State 
     legislatures, to assist States in meeting this standard.

                           Reason for Change

       Holding States accountable for achieving monthly caseworker 
     visits for at least 90 percent of foster children responds to 
     research highlighting how monthly visits lead to better 
     outcomes for children. HHS shall work with the States to 
     establish a plan to achieve this goal by FY 2012 and States 
     are encouraged to invest the new PSSF resources provided in 
     FY 2006 and later fiscal years in activities that have been 
     shown to be effective in achieving increased caseworker 
     visitation of foster children. The above accountability 
     measure will ensure that, even in the case of a State that 
     fails to fulfill its specified level of caseworker visits, 
     the full Federal CWS allotment to a State will remain 
     available so long as that State increases its State CWS 
     spending modestly, according to the provisions of the 
     legislation.

    Section 8--Reauthorization of Program for Mentoring Children of 
                               Prisoners

                              Current Law

       The Mentoring Children of Prisoners program is administered 
     by HHS and makes competitive grants to support the 
     establishment or expansion and operation of programs that 
     provide mentoring services to children of prisoners.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation reauthorizes the existing Mentoring 
     Children of Prisoners program through FY 2011 at such sums as 
     may be necessary and increases the HHS set-aside for 
     research, technical assistance, and evaluation from 2.5 
     percent to 4 percent. It authorizes a new 3-year pilot 
     program to provide vouchers to qualified mentoring groups to 
     offer services to individual children of prisoners, but 
     specifies both annual caps on funding for this purpose and 
     that at least $25 million must be available each year for 
     site-based grants provided under the program. The voucher 
     pilot program will be administered by a national group that 
     will work closely with HHS to manage the program with the 
     goal to distribute at least 3,000 vouchers in the first year, 
     8,000 vouchers in the second year and 13,000 vouchers in the 
     third year. The legislation specifies that the national group 
     must identify in its voucher distribution plan how the group 
     will prioritize providing vouchers to children in areas which 
     have not been served under the current site-based mentoring 
     program. During the third year of this pilot HHS shall 
     provide a report based on an independent evaluation to the 
     House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on 
     Finance on the number of children who received vouchers for 
     mentoring services and any conclusions regarding the voucher 
     pilot program's effectiveness.

                           Reason for Change

       The continuation of the Mentoring Children of Prisoners 
     program will enable public and private organizations to 
     establish or expand projects that provide one-on-one 
     mentoring for children of incarcerated parents and those 
     recently released from prison. At the same time, children 
     have not been able to access mentoring services in some 
     States and rural areas because of the absence of a site-based 
     grant to provide this service. The voucher pilot program will 
     evaluate the effectiveness of using vouchers to expand the 
     delivery of mentoring services to children of prisoners, 
     including to children in rural and underserved areas.

      Section 9--Reauthorization of the Court Improvement Program

                              Current Law

       For each of FYs 2002 through 2006, an eligible highest 
     State court (with an approved application) is entitled to a 
     share of funds to assess and make improvements to its 
     handling of child welfare procedures. A set-aside of $10 
     million from the mandatory funds authorized and 3.3 percent 
     of any discretionary appropriation is provided from the PSSF 
     program to support the Court Improvement Program. To receive 
     its full allotment of these funds the court, in each of FYs 
     2002 through 2006, is required to provide at least 25 
     percent of the expenditures for this purpose.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation reauthorizes the funding for the Court 
     Improvement Program for 5 years, through FY 2011.

                           Reason for Change

       The Court Improvement Program has played an important role 
     in assisting State courts in their efforts to expedite 
     judicial proceedings for at-risk children. The legislation 
     will ensure these funds continue to remain available, and is 
     in addition to the $100 million provided over FYs 2006 
     through 2010 under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (P.L. 
     109-171) to support training and data collection efforts of 
     State courts.

 Section 10--Requirement for foster care proceedings to include, in an 
age-appropriate manner, consultation with the child that is the subject 
                           of the proceeding

                              Current Law

       Current law does not include a standard for consulting with 
     children in court proceedings.

                                S. 3525

       The legislation requires States to assure that in any 
     permanency hearing held with respect to the child, including 
     any hearing regarding the transition of the child from foster 
     care to independent living, the court or administrative body 
     conducting the hearing consults in an age-appropriate manner 
     with the child regarding the plan being proposed for the 
     child.

                           Reason for Change

       Each child deserves the opportunity to participate and be 
     consulted in any court proceeding affecting his or her 
     future, in an age-appropriate manner.

                    Section 11--Technical amendments

                      Section 12--Effective dates

       The legislation will become effective on October 1, 2006, 
     except for provisions with other specified effective dates or 
     ifHHS determines that a State legislature must act before the 
     State can comply with the changes.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H7385]]

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in strong support of Senate bill 3525, the Child and Family 
Services Improvement Act. By passing this legislation, we will better 
protect our most vulnerable children, the children who are abused and 
neglected in our society.
  This legislation would not have been possible without the leadership 
and compassion of Mr. Wally Herger, the chairman of the Human Resources 
Subcommittee. I thank him for that, and I recognize the efforts of his 
staff to collaborate with me and others to write legislation that will 
make a difference in the lives of vulnerable kids.
  For many of these children, we are the last line of defense, 
separating hope from despair. The Child and Family Services Improvement 
Act is a lifeline that will save lives. Today, we are first responders 
to children who need us to rescue them for abuse and neglect.
  S. 3525 combines the key features of the legislation we worked 
together to pass in this House in July, and the bill includes several 
important provisions authored by the Senate. So it is truly 
collaborative, both bicameral and bilateral here. This legislation is 
an example of what is possible when we forget party labels and work 
together for the common good.
  We know the problems confronting our Nation's child welfare system 
are staggering. We won't solve them all in one day or with one bill. 
This Improvement Act is not a comprehensive solution. It is, however, a 
modest but important step in the right direction, a step that can save 
the lives of abused and neglected children.
  This legislation extends for 5 years the Promoting Safe and Stable 
Families Program. This is the largest source of Federal funding 
dedicated to preventing child abuse, to safely reuniting troubled 
families, and promoting adoption when kids can't return home.
  The bill also brings the mandatory funding that Indian tribes receive 
from this program better in line with what the tribes really deserve, 
and I am proud to say that the measure does more than merely continue 
current resources.
  In this legislation, we fought to recognize the importance of a 
consistent interaction between caseworkers and foster children. We do 
this by including meaningful incentives for States to make progress 
toward ensuring that children in foster care are checked on at least 
once a month by qualified State caseworkers. Caseworkers are the first 
responders for children. We recognize that in this legislation, and we 
support them.
  Here is how we do it: To assist the States in assuring that children 
are visited by first-rate caseworkers, the bill provides States an 
additional $95 million over the next 5 years to improve their child 
welfare workforce. These funds will be used to enhance the retention, 
recruitment, and training of caseworkers, as well as increase their 
access to useful technology. I personally see this investment as a down 
payment in the people who are best able to protect vulnerable kids.
  The current level of turnover for child welfare caseworkers, that is, 
tenure on the job, is less than 2 years. That is detrimental to the 
well-being of foster kids.
  Our legislation also makes progress on another issue that threatens 
the welfare of children. That is substance abuse. Building on a 
proposal that originated in the Senate, the bill will provide 
competitive grants for States and community based organizations to 
launch really a rescue mission for families and children whose health 
and safety are threatened by their parents' substance abuse problems. 
We are going to be proactive, and we are going to address this issue 
and meet the needs head on.
  This new grant program would have a special focus on methamphetamine 
drug use because of the dramatic destabilizing effect it has on 
families. However, the grants also could be provided to organizations 
combating other serious drugs, such as heroin and crack cocaine.
  I would also like to highlight a provision in this bill that would 
require the States to have disaster preparedness plans for their child 
welfare programs. This would require procedures to track displaced 
foster kids, identify children who may be newly in need of child 
welfare services because of disaster, preserve essential records, and 
have a process for communicating and coordinating with other States.
  We really don't have to look any further than what happened in this 
country in Hurricane Katrina to understand why such a requirement is 
necessary, or to the report I requested the Government Accounting 
Office conduct, showing that the States are lacking in any kind of 
plan.
  Finally, this bill would extend for 5 years a program that helps our 
court system track child welfare cases and a program that provides 
mentoring services for children of prisoners. We will also try a 
limited demonstration project to test the feasibility and effectiveness 
of providing services through vouchers.
  Today, we have an opportunity to launch a rescue mission for 
vulnerable kids. I strongly urge Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson), who is an active member of the committee 
and a former chairman of the committee.
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support 
this legislation; and I am very pleased that it is a bipartisan 
approach to strengthening our Child and Family Services Improvement 
Act.
  We have heard a great deal during our work on the Human Resources 
Subcommittee about the Federal Government spending a lot of money 
reimbursing States to remove children from their homes and place them 
in foster care. If the State does not remove the child under our 
Federal foster care program, the Federal Government keeps the funds. It 
is the only Federal program that actually pays States to remove 
children from their homes. That is why this legislation is so critical 
and so important.
  Unlike the problematic Federal foster care system, the money in Safe 
and Stable Families goes to States to target at-risk families, helping 
States treat the child in their homes, prevent abuse and neglect, and 
adjust the entire family system to place child outcomes and family 
permanence above family breakups and foster care.
  Pediatricians and teachers will tell you they know early on which 
families will struggle. We need more community based solutions focused 
on earlier intervention as well as treatment and care management, which 
is why I am pleased we are reauthorizing this important legislation and 
adding a number of provisions to it. One will add $40 million annually. 
Twenty million of this money will go to increase the number of home 
visits caseworkers make to at-risk families. This will certainly 
strengthen the preventative and care quality of our family support 
systems.
  But the other $20 million will increase funding for substance abuse 
treatment, and I am particularly pleased about that $20 million. As the 
former Chair of a child guidance clinic many years ago, ever since that 
day right up to the present day, most experts in this field will tell 
you that where a family is having difficulty, there is substance abuse. 
Some member of that family is probably having trouble with alcohol or 
more serious drugs. So I am very pleased that we are putting some 
additional dollars behind making substance abuse treatment available to 
members of these families as we also move to a more holistic approach 
to strengthening families to prevent the outplacement of children in 
foster care.
  I also want to mention the extension of the Court Improvement Program 
because this has made a very great difference at the local level in our 
ability to manage these families, to help these families, to put the 
appropriate services in place to support them, and has also revealed 
the great lack of community based services to the court in the service 
of these families. So that is a very important provision that was 
introduced by my colleague, Congresswoman Deb Pryce. As a former judge, 
she understood the great need for us to better educate the judiciary on 
the options for children and families, to strengthen those families 
rather than outplace their children.
  I also want to commend the chairman and ranking member on their

[[Page H7386]]

strengthening of the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program because 
this, too, helps prepare the ground for a prisoner to return to an 
active parenting role and strengthens thereby not only the prisoner but 
also the children.

                              {time}  1415

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Stark).
  (Mr. STARK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  I support 3525 and urge my colleagues to support it. I thank Mr. 
Herger and Dr. McDermott for their work in guiding this bill through 
committee and maintaining funding for case worker improvements and home 
visits.
  The gentlewoman from Connecticut mentioned that she had been on the 
committee. I have actually been on the committee since the day it was 
organized in 1975. And the work we are doing here today, led by our 
chairman, reminds me of much of the bipartisan improvements that have 
been brought to the support systems for disadvantaged people and 
children.
  There is a lot more to do. There are 800,000 kids who spend time in 
foster care each year, and the people who provided case work support 
are understaffed, underpaid, overworked. This bill will go a good ways 
toward helping them.
  In the last report that we had from GAO, we found that in 1999, of 
the children who aged out, turned 19, out of foster care, that 40 
percent of them became dependent on public assistance and Medicaid.
  Fifty-one percent were unemployed. Twenty-five percent had spent some 
time homeless. Twenty-seven percent of the males had been incarcerated 
at least once.
  In the next 15 years we are going to have 300,000 or more foster kids 
age out, without any transition support. So now I hope that the 
chairman will join with me and the ranking member as we proceed to see 
what we can do to make that transition, provide support during those 
periods of transition so that the foster kids can enter the adult world 
and become independent and supportive members of society as I know the 
Chair would like.
  I would like to mention one issue, and see if I could indulge the 
chairman in a brief dialogue on this. There is a practice that just 
became apparent to us that the Social Security benefits which some of 
the foster children get, either because they are disabled or their 
parents have died, they get a Social Security benefit, a small one.
  That benefit in almost all States is taken by the States. If the 
children had a parent alive, that benefit could very well be saved for 
these children, and when they age out of foster care, could be used for 
college education, job training, perhaps to buy a car so they could get 
to their job. And I hope that the Chair would join with me so that we 
can study the possibility of finding a way to save those Social 
Security benefits for those children who would not have a parent or 
would be disabled, so that it will help them in their transition to a 
responsible adulthood.
  I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Stark) for your work in this area. I thank you for your 
support and work on this specific legislation.
  I look forward to working with you on the issue that you have just 
outlined, this issue, and many other issues in this area.
  Mr. STARK. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would only point out that 
this bill has been supported by the Child Welfare League of America, 
Children's Defense Fund, Catholic Charities, Conferences of State Court 
Administrators and Chief Justices, the Center For Law and Social 
Policy, Fight Crime, Invest in Kids, the Mentoring Partnership, the 
National Indian Child Welfare Association, the National Congress of 
American Indians, the Association of American Indian Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is a good bill, and it ought to pass by a 
voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, the Child and Family Services Improvement 
Act is good legislation that will help ensure the safety of vulnerable 
children. It will hold States accountable for visiting children in 
foster care on at least a monthly basis.
  It will target existing resources to help States and local 
communities address the impact of parental substance abuse on child 
welfare programs. Again, I would like to thank the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. McDermott) and all of my colleagues on both sides of 
the aisle for their work in crafting this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe it will take an important step towards 
improving our Nation's child protection system.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle for working together to produce this important 
legislation. I would like to especially thank the gentleman from 
California, Mr. Herger, Chairman of our Human Resources subcommittee, 
and the gentleman from Washington, Dr. McDermott, Ranking Member on our 
subcommittee, for their work in guiding this bill through and reaching 
a compromise with our Senate counterparts. This bill is an important, 
although by no means final, step toward improving our child welfare 
system and providing hope and a bright future to the 800,000 children 
that spend time in foster care each year. I urge my colleagues to vote 
yes.
  For far too long many foster children and abused children have 
suffered because their caseworkers are underpaid, overworked, and 
turnover frequently. A 2003 GAO report concluded that frontline 
caseworkers should not handle more than 18 cases at a time. Yet data 
collected by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) 
showed that caseworkers around the country handle an average of 24-31 
cases simultaneously. The GAO also found that the average tenure of 
caseworkers was less than 2 years.
  There is a direct relationship between positive outcomes for foster 
children and the frequency and quality of their interaction with their 
caseworkers. The more frequent the visits, the safer children are and 
the better chance they have of gaining permanency. Improving states' 
abilities to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled caseworkers is 
one concrete way to help our most vulnerable children.
  This bill includes $95 million in funding over 6 years for workforce 
improvements with the goal of ensuring that 90 percent of foster 
children are visited by their caseworker at least once a month. This 
funding is a great first step and one worthy of applause. Mr. Herger 
and Dr. McDermott showed tremendous leadership in reaching a compromise 
with the Senate that maintained funding for caseworker improvement. 
However, we should not expect that such a relatively small amount of 
money will transform a troubled system overnight. There is more that we 
must do in this and other areas to bring about positive changes for 
foster children.
  Fixing our child welfare system has repercussions throughout our 
society. Foster children who age out of the child welfare system 
without having developed family supports or skills that can lead to 
employment create a large societal cost. Consider that a 1999 GAO 
report found that 40 percent of adults who had aged out of foster care 
were dependent on public assistance or Medicaid. 51 percent were 
unemployed; 25 percent had experienced homelessness; 27 percent of 
males had been incarcerated at least once. In the next 15 years 300,000 
foster children will age out of care without any transition supports. 
This body has a moral obligation to do all we can to confront these sad 
realities.
  Even as I celebrate the progress that the bill before us today 
represents, I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take 
the next step and implement changes that will provide support for 
children transitioning out of foster care. One such change would be to 
eliminate the scandalous state practice of robbing foster children of 
their social security benefits. Nearly every state in the nation 
confiscates foster children's disability and survivor's benefits when 
those children are under the responsibility of the state. If this 
practice were prohibited, foster children could use the money that 
rightly belongs to them for job training, housing, and transportation 
expenses. These funds would ease foster children's transition to 
adulthood and provide them with hope for the future.
  I urge you to support the bill before us, but please remember that we 
still have work to do.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendments to the House amendments to the 
Senate bill, S. 3525.

[[Page H7387]]

  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendments to the 
House amendments to the Senate bill were concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________