[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. WILLIAM M. THOMAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2006

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3525, the 
Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006. This legislation 
reflects a bipartisan agreement developed by the House Ways and Means 
Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to reauthorize and improve 
important child welfare programs under our jurisdictions.
  Other bills might attract more media attention, but few are more 
important. This agreement reflects our mutual interest in doing more to 
ensure children are protected from harm. To achieve this goal, the bill 
increases resources for activities and services that will help prevent 
child abuse and neglect from occurring. But it also involves spending 
more intelligently and with greater accountability the money we have 
previously committed for these purposes.
  For example, we know from numerous reports and simple common sense 
that when caseworkers visit children in foster care, children are safer 
and more quickly placed in permanent homes. While most States agree 
that children in foster care should be visited at least once per month, 
there currently is no consequence for States that fail to meet that 
standard. Moreover, data suggest that most States can't even tell which 
foster children are visited and how often. Very simply, these children 
and the Federal taxpayers who support these programs deserve much 
better.
  The Child and Family Services Improvement Act is designed to address 
this shortcoming by requiring additional accountability. Specifically, 
the legislation will require States to ensure that, within 5 years, 
they can document caseworker visits once a month to at least 900 
percent of foster children.
  This is a significant step in the right direction. This legislation 
requires States to increase child protection funding or risk losing 
Federal funds. That's the right structure--continue today's generous 
level of Federal support, but insist that States that don't make the 
grade contribute more of their own funds to improve these programs.
  This agreement will also target $145 million over the next 5 years 
for preventing and treating parental substance abuse, including 
involving methamphetamines. This is an issue of great concern to me 
because the State of California, its Central Valley region, and Kern 
County, which I represent, unfortunately have significant levels of 
methamphetamine production, use, and distribution.
  The Child and Family Services Improvement Act is good policy; it not 
only targets increased resources for prevention, it also is fully paid 
for, which protects taxpayers. Thus, it is not surprising that numerous 
groups including Catholic Charities, the Center for Law and Social 
Policy, Lutheran Social Services, and the National Congress of American 
Indians, have endorsed this important legislation.
  Finally, I would like to thank Ways and Means Human Resources 
Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger and Ranking Member Jim McDermott, 
and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley and Ranking 
Member Max Baucus for their hard work on this legislation. Accordingly, 
I ask my colleagues to support this legislation and send it to the 
President's desk without delay.

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