[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FOSTERING CONNECTIONS TO SUCCESS AND INCREASING ADOPTIONS ACT

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                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2008

  Mr. POMEROY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Fostering 
Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, important 
legislation that improves and strengthens the Federal programs that 
assist foster care and adoption assistance programs.
  Under current law, States are reimbursed by the Federal Government 
for eligible foster care or adoption assistance programs through Title 
IV-E of the Social Security Act. Unfortunately, these very same 
services are not directly reimbursed when provided by an American 
Indian tribe. This was not a deliberate adoption policy decision, but 
instead a drafting error that has meant that some tribes have been left 
without the Federal resources they need to support services for these 
priceless children.
  My bill would provide parity to Native American children living on 
tribal land by allowing Indian tribes to have the same direct access to 
Federal funding for foster care and adoption services that States 
currently receive via Title IV-E. This legislation improves the Native 
American child welfare system by requiring tribal adoption and foster 
care programs to meet the same requirements that are required of States 
to ensure the safety of children placed in tribal foster care programs, 
while entrusting the establishment and maintenance of these programs to 
tribes.
  The critical importance of this legislation was driven home to me 
when I met recently with the Mitzel family from West Fargo, ND. They 
have served as foster parents for 13 children throughout the years and 
are now adopted parents for a sibling group of five precious Native 
American children who were scattered from one another in the foster 
care system. For their persistent efforts to reunite this sibling 
group, I nominated the Mitzels this year for the Congressional 
Coalition on Adoption's Angels in Adoption Award.
  I am deeply grateful for the commitment of tribal leaders to make 
certain that these children were united and raised as a family even 
though in this particular case it means that these children will be 
raised off of the reservation. Meeting these children powerfully drove 
home to me just how important it is that all of our children, including 
American Indian children receiving services from a tribe, have the same 
level of support.
  This compromise bill with the Senate puts tribal adoption and foster 
care one step closer to being on equal footing with States and gives 
tribes the ability to provide their children with the culturally 
appropriate care they deserve. I am hopeful that this bipartisan 
legislation will quickly pass the Senate and be signed into law.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Fostering Connections to Success 
and Increasing Adoptions Act to ensure that all children in foster care 
get the services, education and healthcare that they need.

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