[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 107 (Tuesday, July 5, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1029-E1031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               H.R. 5456

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. VERN BUCHANAN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 5, 2016

  Mr. BUCHANAN. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following extraneous 
materials on H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services Act of 
2016:

                                               Foster Family-Based


                                        Treatment Association,

                                    Hackensack, NJ, June 15, 2016.
     Re: H.R. 5456 Family First Prevention Service Act

     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chair, House Ways and Means Committee, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Vern Buchanan,
     Chair, House Human Resources Subcommittee, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Chair, Senate Finance Committee, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sander Levin,
     Ranking Member, Ways and Means,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, House Human Resource Subcommittee, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Ron Wyden,
     Ranking Member, Senate Finance Ranking Member, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Levin; Subcommittee 
     Chair Buchanan and Ranking Member Doggett, and Chairman Hatch 
     and Ranking Member Wyden: The Foster Family-based Treatment 
     Association congratulates you on the important bipartisan 
     work and agreement reflected in H.R. 5456 Family First 
     Prevention Service Act.
       Title I will provide crucial funding to keep families 
     together, in particular those facing substance abuse 
     problems, mental health, and generational deprivation of 
     health parenting skills. Providing funding to address these 
     crises is the first step to reforming our child welfare 
     system so that families might stay together whenever possible 
     and safe and avoid additional trauma of family breakup.
       Title II will provide clarity about professional roles and 
     responsibilities to assess each child and provide the most 
     appropriate, least restrictive placement when a child must be 
     removed from their home. Overall the bill recognizes the 
     importance of a continuum of care from family support to 
     family-like out of home placement to congregate care 
     placements as needed by a child and family contingent on on-
     going, individualized assessments.
       We look forward to working with the 115th Congress to be 
     sure that this full continuum is supported and efficient: 
     that qualified residential programs are able to meet these 
     new requirements and serve youth clearly needing that level 
     of care, and that community-based, family-like settings are 
     supported and sustained so that youth who would otherwise be 
     at the residential level of care can be served safely and 
     professionally in the community in placements with biological 
     family, with kin or guardians, or with non-kinship foster 
     families.
       We furthermore support the important reauthorization of 
     Title IV-B programs and are especially pleased to see 
     continuation of the adoption-kinship incentives, court 
     improvement funds, and the regional partnership grants.
       Again, thank you for your work on H.R. 5456. Please call on 
     FFTA as we move forward in improving the family preservation 
     and foster care systems for all of America's youth requiring 
     such support.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Jodie A. Austin,
                                            LCSW, Board President.
                                  ____
                                  
         Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State 
           Court Administrators, Government Relations Office,
                                                    June 15, 2016.
     Re: Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 (H.R. 5456)

     Hon. Kevin Brady
     Chairman, Ways and Means Committee,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Vern Buchanan,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Ways and Means 
         Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sander M. Levin,
     Ranking Member, Ways and Means Committee, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Ways and 
         Means Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Chairman Brady, Ranking Member Levin, Chairman 
     Buchanan, and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf of the 
     Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State 
     Court Administrators, we are writing in support of your 
     efforts to promote and improve outcomes for the children and 
     youth who come to the attention of the child welfare system, 
     including children in foster care. Over the decades the House 
     Ways and Means Committee, with bipartisan support, has taken 
     significant steps forward on behalf of our most vulnerable 
     children.
       We are aware that the House Ways and Means Committee is 
     considering the Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 
     (H.R. 5456), which would allow funds under Title IV-E of the 
     Social Security Act to be used for prevention services to 
     help keep children at risk of placement in foster care safely 
     at home with their parents or kin and would take important 
     steps to ensure that children who need to enter foster care 
     will be placed in the least restrictive setting appropriate 
     to their needs, by targeting federal dollars on smaller 
     family-foster homes and on other care settings for children 
     and youth with special treatment needs or those in special 
     circumstances, such as pregnant and parenting teens or older 
     youth in independent living settings.
       For your information, we enclose resolution, In Support of 
     Reforms to Improve the Outcomes for Children in the Child 
     Welfare System, recently adopted by our respective 
     Conferences. We commend your efforts to promote and improve 
     outcomes for the children and youth who come to the attention 
     of the child welfare system. We hope that you consider our 
     resolutions and support as you move forward to adopt this 
     legislation.
       Additionally, the legislation reauthorizes child and family 
     services programs under Title IV-B of the Social Security 
     Act, including the three Court Improvement Program (CIP) 
     grants through FY 2021 at the current $30 million level. The 
     three CIP grant programs are critical for state courts as 
     they provide the only federal funds to state courts for the 
     purpose of improving state court oversight of abuse and 
     neglect cases; and have been invaluable in assisting courts 
     to improve and expedite our processes and procedures. These 
     funds have resulted in abused and neglected children moving 
     more expeditiously to safe, permanent homes and improved 
     outcomes for children in need of protection. Our work, 
     however, is not complete, so the reauthorization of these 
     funds will allow us to continue our work to improve results 
     for these children.
       We look forward to working with you to ensure these child 
     welfare reforms will truly benefit children who come to the 
     attention of the child welfare system and to continue to 
     explore additional improvements on their

[[Page E1030]]

     behalf to ensure they all have safe, permanent families. 
     Thank you for your continuing leadership on behalf of these 
     children.
           Sincerely,
     Hon. David Gilbertson,
       President, Conference of Chief Justices.
     Patricia W. Griffin,
       President, Conference of State Court Administrators.
                                  ____
                                  

      Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court 
                             Administrators


    Resolution 5--In Support of Reforms to Improve the Outcomes for 
                  Children in the Child Welfare System

       Whereas, the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators recognize the 
     importance of securing safe and permanent homes for children 
     and the importance of moving children in state custody to 
     permanent and safe homes as quickly as possible through the 
     efficient and effective handling of child abuse and neglect 
     cases; and
       Whereas, the Conferences have made child welfare system 
     reform a priority and undertaken initiatives to strengthen 
     court oversight of child welfare cases; and
       Whereas, Congress is considering a number of legislative 
     proposals that seek to improve the outcomes for children 
     coming to the attention of the child welfare system; and
       Whereas, the legislative proposals have provisions that 
     would:
       allow states to use Title IV-E funds for time-limited 
     prevention services for eligible children who are candidates 
     for foster care at ``imminent risk'' of entering or re-
     entering foster care but who can safely remain at home or 
     with a kinship caregiver if provided services, or pregnant 
     and parenting youth in foster care, or parents or kin 
     caregivers of children at risk of entering foster care;
       allow Title IV-E funds to be used to provide evidence-based 
     time-limited prevention services for up to 12 months when an 
     intervention is necessary;
       require state child welfare agencies to develop a 
     prevention plan for each case that lists the services or 
     assistance needed and identifies the permanency goal for a 
     child, how services are tied to the placement and permanency 
     goal and are trauma-informed in order to receive time-limited 
     prevention services;
       allow for a child to receive a Title IV-E maintenance 
     payment when placed with a parent in a residential substance 
     abuse treatment facility;
       provide short-term financial assistance through Title IV-B 
     for up to three months for a child's parent or kinship 
     caregivers when it can be demonstrated that such assistance 
     can prevent a child from entering foster care;
       eliminate the time limit on the use of Title IV-B funds for 
     family reunification services for children in foster care;
       require states to take steps to safely reduce the 
     inappropriate use of congregate/group care for children in 
     the child welfare system;
       require state child welfare agencies, at the initial 
     placement and subsequent state reviews and permanency 
     hearings, to demonstrate why the child cannot be served in a 
     least restrictive placement and document efforts it has made 
     to place the child into a more family-like setting;
       require state child welfare agencies to conduct an 
     assessment of appropriate placement prior to each permanency 
     hearing or review;
       require courts to review the assessment of the initial 
     congregate care placements and updated assessments of 
     congregate care placements and approve or disapprove those 
     placements;
       condition receipt of Court Improvement Program funding on 
     the provision of training for judges about new federal 
     policies on placement of foster children in non-family 
     settings;
       amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
     require a state plan for academic content and achievement 
     standards to describe how the state will ensure the 
     educational stability of children in foster care and include 
     assurances that: a foster child will remain or be enrolled in 
     the child's school of origin absent a determination that such 
     enrollment is not in the child's best interest; if such a 
     determination is made, the child will be immediately enrolled 
     in a new school, which must immediately contact the child's 
     previous school to obtain relevant records; and the state 
     will designate a point of contact for child welfare agencies; 
     and
       allow states to certify that the state will provide 
     assistance and services under the John H. Chafee Foster Care 
     Independence Program to youths who have aged out of foster 
     care and have not attained age 23; and
       Whereas, state courts, in their oversight role, have a 
     responsibility to insure that state child welfare agencies 
     are complying with these new federal policies and 
     requirements; and
       Whereas, while these added responsibilities will lengthen 
     the time of court hearings, the Conference of Chief Justices 
     and the Conference of State Court Administrators are 
     committed to working with Congress and the United States 
     Department of Health and Human Services to effectively 
     implement the new policies and requirements: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators urge Congress to 
     give favorable consideration to these legislative proposals; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators further urge 
     Congress and the United States Department of Health and Human 
     Services to provide adequate funding to state courts to: 
     provide training for judges and court personnel so that they 
     understand and comply with the federal policies and 
     requirements; develop resources and best court practices; and 
     fully implement these resources and best practices.
       Adopted as proposed by the CCJ/COSCA Courts, Children, and 
     Families Committee at the Conference of State Court 
     Administrators 2015 Midyear Meeting on December 5, 2015 and 
     at the Conference of Chief Justices 2016 Midyear Meeting on 
     February 3, 2016.
                                  ____



                                   The Supreme Court of Texas,

                                     Austin, Texas, June 20, 2016.
     Re: Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 (H.R. 5456)

     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Kevin: I understand the House may vote tomorrow on the 
     Family First Prevention Services Act of 2016 (H.R. 5456), and 
     that the bill has broad support so far. It would allow Social 
     Security Title IV-E funds to improve the foster care system. 
     It would also reauthorize child and family service programs 
     under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act including the 
     three Court Improvement Program grants through FY 2021 at the 
     current $30 million level. These grants are critical for 
     state courts in improving oversight of abuse and neglect 
     cases and generally improving procedures.
       As you well know, improvement in the foster care system is 
     of growing concern in Texas as well as a national issue. I 
     enclose a recent resolution of the Conference of Chief 
     Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators 
     ``In Support of Reforms to Improve the Outcomes for Children 
     in the Child Welfare System''.
       Thanks, as always, for your consideration.
           Cordially,
                                                  Nathan L. Hecht,
     Chief Justice.
                                  ____


      Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court 
                             Administrators


    Resolution 5--In Support of Reforms to Improve the Outcomes for 
                  Children in the Child Welfare System

       Whereas, the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators recognize the 
     importance of securing safe and permanent homes for children 
     and the importance of moving children in state custody to 
     permanent and safe homes as quickly as possible through the 
     efficient and effective handling of child abuse and neglect 
     cases; and
       Whereas, the Conferences have made child welfare system 
     reform a priority and undertaken initiatives to strengthen 
     court oversight of child welfare cases; and
       Whereas, Congress is considering a number of legislative 
     proposals that seek to improve the outcomes for children 
     coming to the attention of the child welfare system; and
       Whereas, the legislative proposals have provisions that 
     would:
       allow states to use Title IV-E funds for time-limited 
     prevention services for eligible children who are candidates 
     for foster care at ``imminent risk'' of entering or re-
     entering foster care but who can safely remain at home or 
     with a kinship caregiver if provided services, or pregnant 
     and parenting youth in foster care, or parents or kin 
     caregivers of children at risk of entering foster care;
       allow Title IV-E funds to be used to provide evidence-based 
     time-limited prevention services for up to 12 months when an 
     intervention is necessary;
       require state child welfare agencies to develop a 
     prevention plan for each case that lists the services or 
     assistance needed and identifies the permanency goal for a 
     child, how services are tied to the placement and permanency 
     goal and are trauma-informed in order to receive time-limited 
     prevention services;
       allow for a child to receive a Title IV-E maintenance 
     payment when placed with a parent in a residential substance 
     abuse treatment facility;
       provide short-term financial assistance through Title IV-B 
     for up to three months for a child's parent or kinship 
     caregivers when it can be demonstrated that such assistance 
     can prevent a child from entering foster care;
       eliminate the time limit on the use of Title IV-B funds for 
     family reunification services for children in foster care;
       require states to take steps to safely reduce the 
     inappropriate use of congregate/group care for children in 
     the child welfare system;
       require state child welfare agencies, at the initial 
     placement and subsequent state reviews and permanency 
     hearings, to demonstrate why the child cannot be served in a 
     least restrictive placement and document efforts it has made 
     to place the child into a more family-like setting;
       require state child welfare agencies to conduct an 
     assessment of appropriate placement prior to each permanency 
     hearing or review;
       require courts to review the assessment of the initial 
     congregate care placements and updated assessments of 
     congregate care placements and approve or disapprove those 
     placements;

[[Page E1031]]

       condition receipt of Court Improvement Program funding on 
     the provision of training for judges about new federal 
     policies on placement of foster children in non-family 
     settings;
       amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to 
     require a state plan for academic content and achievement 
     standards to describe how the state will ensure the 
     educational stability of children in foster care and include 
     assurances that: a foster child will remain or be enrolled in 
     the child's school of origin absent a determination that such 
     enrollment is not in the child's best interest; if such a 
     determination is made, the child will be immediately enrolled 
     in a new school, which must immediately contact the child's 
     previous school to obtain relevant records; and the state 
     will designate a point of contact for child welfare agencies; 
     and
       allow states to certify that the state will provide 
     assistance and services under the John H. Chafee Foster Care 
     Independence Program to youths who have aged out of foster 
     care and have not attained age 23; and
       Whereas, state courts, in their oversight role, have a 
     responsibility to insure that state child welfare agencies 
     are complying with these new federal policies and 
     requirements; and
       Whereas, while these added responsibilities will lengthen 
     the time of court hearings, the Conference of Chief Justices 
     and the Conference of State Court Administrators are 
     committed to working with Congress and the United States 
     Department of Health and Human Services to effectively 
     implement the new policies and requirements: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators urge Congress to 
     give favorable consideration to these legislative proposals; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Conference of Chief Justices and the 
     Conference of State Court Administrators further urge 
     Congress and the United States Department of Health and Human 
     Services to provide adequate funding to state courts to: 
     provide training for judges and court personnel so that they 
     understand and comply with the federal policies and 
     requirements; develop resources and best court practices; and 
     fully implement these resources and best practices.
       Adopted as proposed by the CCJ/COSCA Courts, Children, and 
     Families Committee at the Conference of State Court 
     Administrators 2015 Midyear Meeting on December 5, 2015 and 
     at the Conference of Chief Justices 2016 Midyear Meeting on 
     February 3, 2016.

                          ____________________