[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 110 (Friday, July 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1066-E1069]
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

                          Friday, July 8, 2016

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


[[Page E1067]]


                                            North American Council


                                        on Adoptable Children,

                                      St. Paul, MN, June 14, 2016.
     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington DC.
     Hon. Vern Buchanan,
     Chairman, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on Ways and 
         Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sander Levin,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Ron Wyden,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, Washington 
         DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on 
         Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairmen Brady and Hatch, Ranking Members Levin and 
     Wyden, and Chairman Buchanan and Ranking Member Doggett: The 
     North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) is 
     pleased to support the Family First Prevention Services Act, 
     and we look forward to working with you to ensure passage and 
     implementation of this important legislation. NACAC is a 
     national organization dedicated to the belief that children 
     and youth need and deserve a permanent family.
       I want to particularly highlight three provisions of the 
     Act:
       We were glad to see that the act specifically mentions that 
     Title IV-E will be able to cover preventive services for 
     adoptive and guardianship families, along with birth families 
     and relative caregivers. We have known far too many adoptive 
     families who have been told that their children must reenter 
     foster care to access services. In some of these cases, 
     adoptive families must be charged with abuse and neglect for 
     their children to receive the services they need. The Act 
     will expand the availability of such services and reflects 
     the reality that many families, including adoptive families, 
     need targeted, effective services to meet their children's 
     needs and prevent foster care entry.
       The emphasis on family-based placements rather than group 
     care is something that NACAC has long supported. We firmly 
     believe that far too many children are placed in group care 
     for no therapeutic reason, which research suggests can harm 
     children. We also know that placement with relatives or 
     foster families increases the likelihood that children will 
     achieve permanency, whether through reunification, kin 
     placement, guardianship, or adoption. Group care has a place 
     in the child welfare system when it is therapeutic and 
     effective, never as a convenient default.
       Finally, we are pleased to see that the Government 
     Accounting Office will study and report on how states are 
     reinvesting the funds they receive as a result of the 
     Fostering Connections Act's expansion of Title IV-E adoption 
     assistance eligibility. We know that too few families 
     currently have access to needed post-adoption and post-
     guardianship services, and think these reinvested funds can 
     be a valuable tool to support families post-permanency.
       We are also pleased to see the reauthorization of Title IV-
     B and the Adoption and Guardianship Incentive Program. The 
     incentive program has been an important source of funding for 
     support services for adoptive and guardian families. In 
     addition, we strongly support increased investment in 
     services to prevent foster placements for all families, the 
     supports for kinship care providers, and the expansion of the 
     National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise. We have 
     seen through the pilot that the use of such a system will 
     speed placements of children in foster care and adoption.
       We acknowledge that the Act would delay the implementation 
     of expanded IV-E eligibility to children under age four, but 
     we believe that the bill's provisions are so important that 
     we are able to support this offset.
       We will offer support in implementation of the Act to 
     ensure that the post-adoption services in the bill are 
     available to families who need them and that states are 
     investing in efforts to recruit, develop, and support foster 
     and kin families for children who would otherwise be in group 
     care. We will also review the GAO study to ensure that states 
     are investing as required in post-adoption and post-
     guardianship services.
       Thank you again for your support of these valuable 
     improvements in our child welfare system. Please let me know 
     if you need anything from us as you move forward with the 
     Act.
           Sincerely,
                                                         Mary Boo,
                                               Executive Director.
                                  ____
                                  
                                                      The National


                                        Crittenton Foundation,

                                      Portland, OR, June 14, 2016.
     Hon. Kevin Brady,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Chairman, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate.
     Hon. Vern Buchanan,
     Chairman, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on Ways and 
         Means, House of Representatives.
     Hon. Sandy Levin,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives.
     Hon. Ron Wyden,
     Ranking Member, Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Human Resources Subcommittee, Committee on 
         Ways and Means, House of Representatives.
       Dear Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee Chairmen 
     Brady and Hatch, Ranking Members Levin and Wyden and Human 
     Resources Subcommittee Chairman Buchanan and Ranking Member 
     Doggett: On behalf of The National Crittenton Foundation, I 
     am pleased to support the Family First Prevention Services 
     Act (H.R. 5456) introduced today by House Ways and Means 
     Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Vern Buchanan (R-FL) 
     and joined by eleven other bi-partisan original co-sponsors. 
     We understand that the development of this proposed 
     legislation has been a long and complex process, and believe 
     that this bipartisan compromise represents a positive step 
     toward reducing the unnecessary reliance on group care while 
     also improving critical prevention services for children in 
     or at risk of entering the child welfare system.
       Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, TNCF's mission is to 
     advance the self-empowerment, health, economic security and 
     civic engagement of girls and young women impacted by 
     violence, childhood adversity and trauma. TNCF and its 26-
     member Family of Agencies currently serve 31 states and the 
     District of Columbia and have more than 130 years of 
     expertise in delivering the highest quality of gender and 
     culturally-specific, trauma-informed, strengths-based and 
     developmentally-appropriate services to girls and young women 
     involved in the child welfare, juvenile justice and other 
     child and family service systems.
       Among the many populations of young people it serves, the 
     Crittenton Family of Agencies has a particular interest and 
     expertise in providing cutting-edge supports for pregnant and 
     parenting girls and young women, both those who are at risk 
     of child welfare involvement and those already in the foster 
     care system. As you know, these young women represent a 
     relatively small percentage of the overall population of 
     children in foster care, but they face a number of critical 
     challenges, most notably the unnecessary separation from or 
     permanent removal of their own children. When pregnant and 
     parenting youth do not receive the comprehensive range of 
     services they need to parent effectively, the result is often 
     long-term, dual-generation involvement in the child welfare 
     system.
       The proposed legislation supports the young people we serve 
     in several important ways. Most importantly, it allows 
     federal Title IV-E foster care funding to be used for time-
     limited, evidence-based services for those young people who 
     are at imminent risk of entering or re-entering foster care, 
     pregnant and parenting youth in foster care and parents and 
     kinship caregivers of children at risk.
       Expanding states' ability to direct critical dollars 
     towards prevention will help young people who seek help from 
     our agencies access services in the community, especially 
     those young parents who need basic community services and 
     supports to stay together with their children. In addition, 
     the elimination of time limits for family reunification 
     services will be extremely helpful in providing ongoing 
     support for young children after they have returned home to 
     their parents, including parents who are teens.
       The National Crittenton Foundation is also supportive of 
     the proposed approach to eliminating inappropriate group 
     care. As you know, our agencies strongly believe that 
     children belong in families whenever possible. They work 
     extensively with state and local child welfare agencies, 
     other community-based organizations, and families to provide 
     a range of services--from prevention to post-permanency 
     services--to help children return home or transition to 
     kinship care.
       Our agencies also understand first hand that children are 
     too often placed in poorly regulated group settings without 
     comprehensive assessments and timely and clinically 
     appropriate placements. By clearly defining Qualified 
     Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP) and requiring timely 
     and comprehensive assessments and careful ongoing court 
     review, we believe that this legislation balances the need to 
     address the treatment needs of young people and reduce the 
     over-reliance on group home placements. In addition, the 
     provisions to support young pregnant and parenting teens will 
     help ensure that those young women who do not have supportive 
     family placement options or kinship resources are able to 
     access the services they need before and after the birth of 
     their children.
       Finally, TNCF is pleased to see the additional reporting 
     requirements for children who are not placed in family foster 
     care homes. Accurate data collection on residential 
     treatment, hospital-settings and those individuals who are 
     pregnant and parenting will be instrumental in helping our 
     agencies better meet the needs of young people by identifying 
     gaps in services and supports.
       Thank you all for your strong leadership and bipartisan 
     coordination on these important issues and for your ongoing 
     commitment to children and their families.
           Sincerely,
                                           Jeannette Pai-Espinosa,
                                                        President.

[[Page E1068]]

                                       Catholic Charities USA,

                                                    June 21, 2016.
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative: On behalf of the United States 
     Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice 
     and Human Development and Catholic Charities USA, we write in 
     support of H.R. 5456, the Family First Prevention Services 
     Act of 2016.
       In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, Pope 
     Francis wrote:
       The choice of adoption and foster care expresses a 
     particular kind of fruitfulness in the marriage experience. . 
     . . In the light of those situations where a child is desired 
     at any cost, as a right for one's self-fulfilment, adoption 
     and foster care, correctly understood, manifest an important 
     aspect of parenting and the raising of children. They make 
     people aware that children, whether natural, adoptive or 
     taken in foster care, are persons in their own right who need 
     to be accepted, loved and cared for, and not just brought 
     into this world. The best interests of the child should 
     always underlie any decision in adoption and foster care (no. 
     180).
       The Church thus recognizes and values the often heroic 
     witness of those who provide loving foster care to children 
     in need. At the same time, we understand that, where 
     possible, meaningful support for families experiencing 
     serious challenges can be critically important. For some, 
     well-timed assistance can help keep families together, 
     strengthening child outcomes and building toward long-term 
     thriving.
       Catholic Charities has extensive experience, both in 
     supporting families with mental health care, substance abuse 
     treatment and parenting skills training, and in providing 
     foster care support. Last year alone over 11,000 children 
     received foster care support and over 1,500 children were 
     adopted from foster care programs through Catholic Charities 
     supported programs.
       Given our deep understanding and concern for family and our 
     breadth of experience in helping parents in need, we urge you 
     to pass H.R. 5456. Among the commendable provisions are:
       Resources to assist parents with mental health, substance 
     abuse or parenting skill issues to increase opportunities for 
     children to remain in their homes where safe to do so;
       Increased priority for placing children with other family 
     members or in family foster settings;
       Funding for evidence-based services to prevent child abuse 
     and neglect related to substance abuse;
       Additional support for the transition of foster children 
     into adulthood.
       As Saint John Paul II remarked, ``As the family goes, so 
     goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we 
     live'' (homily, Perth, Australia, November 30, 1986). The 
     importance of supporting parents, children and families by 
     improving the foster care system is critical for the good of 
     our nation. Please support H.R. 5456.
           Sincerely yours,
     Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski,
       Archbishop of Miami, Chairman,
              Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
     Sr. Donna Markham, OP, Ph.D.,
       President & CEO,
                                           Catholic Charities USA.
                                                    June 21, 2016.
     Hon. Paul Ryan,
     Speaker of the House,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
     Minority Leader,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Speaker of the House Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi: 
     As organizations representing advocates for children, youth 
     and families, public and private providers, foster parents, 
     adoptive parents, kinship caregivers and alumni of foster 
     care, we are writing in support of the bipartisan, bicameral 
     Family First Prevention Services Act, H.R. 5456. This 
     legislation represents an historic step forward by better 
     aligning federal child welfare funding with improved outcomes 
     and goals for children and families who come into contact 
     with the child welfare system. Over the decades Congress has 
     approved many bipartisan, bicameral child welfare bills to 
     better meet the needs of our most vulnerable children and 
     families, and the Family First Prevention Services Act 
     continues to make important gains for children.
       We applaud the historic step the Act takes to increase 
     federal investments in prevention to keep more children 
     safely with their parents or family caregivers and out of 
     foster care. The Act would allow funds under Title IV-E of 
     the Social Security Act, now used primarily for out-of-home 
     care for children, to be used for quality mental health and 
     substance abuse prevention and treatment services and in-home 
     parent skill-based programs. Requirements that these new 
     services be evidence-based and trauma-informed, along with 
     data reporting on performance outcomes, helps to ensure the 
     quality of and accountability for services provided. These 
     and other provisions in the Act also recognize the current 
     challenges created by the opioid and heroin crises in many 
     states.
       The Family First Prevention Services Act over time also 
     will take important steps to ensure children who need foster 
     care will be placed in the least restrictive setting 
     appropriate to their needs, by targeting federal dollars only 
     on children in family-foster homes or residential 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. The Act 
     builds on activities in a number of states to preserve group 
     care for children with special treatment needs.
       The Act includes a number of other important changes to 
     help improve outcomes for children and families. It continues 
     to recognize the special role grandparents and other 
     relatives play when they step in to care for children when 
     their parents cannot and the supports relative caregivers 
     need; requires states to have a plan to track and prevent 
     child maltreatment fatalities; addresses the special needs of 
     pregnant and parenting teens and protections for their 
     children; promotes permanent families for children by 
     extending adoption and guardianship incentives, enhancing 
     interstate placements of children, and ensuring appropriate 
     investments in post-adoption services; continues the Court 
     Improvement Program; and offers increased supports to help 
     older youth transition from foster care to adulthood.
       Children and society pay a high cost when current systems 
     fail to adequately address the needs of the children who come 
     to the attention of our child welfare systems. We believe the 
     specific changes proposed will go far in encouraging state 
     and local child welfare agencies, private providers, courts, 
     and advocates for children and families, including those who 
     have been involved in the child welfare system, to work 
     together to achieve significant change for children over the 
     next decade.
       The Family First Prevention Services Act will truly benefit 
     vulnerable children and families who come to the attention of 
     the child welfare system. We urge strong bipartisan support 
     of H.R. 5456. Thank you.
           Sincerely,
     National Organizations:
     Adoption Exchange Association
     American Academy of Pediatrics
     American Psychological Association
     Association of University Centers on Disabilities
     Center for Native American Youth
     Center for the Study of Social Policy
     Child Care Aware of America
     Children and Family Futures
     Children's Home Society of America
     Children's Hospital Association
     Children's Rights
     Children's Advocacy Institute
     Children's Defense Fund
     Children's Leadership Council
     CLASP
     Coalition on Human Needs
     CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing)
     Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
     Every Child Matters
     First Focus Campaign for Children
     Foster Family-based Treatment Association
     FosterClub
     Generations United
     Healthy Teen Network
     Human Rights Project for Girls (Rights4Girls)
     Juvenile Law Center
     National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc.
     National Alliance of Children's Trust and Prevention Funds
     National Association for Children of Alcoholics
     National Association for Children's Behavioral Health
     National Association of Counsel for Children
     National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
     National Association of Social Workers
     National Center on Adoption and Permanency
     National Center on Child Welfare and Housing
     National Center on Shared Leadership
     National Child Abuse Coalition
     National Children's Alliance
     National Family Preservation Network
     National Foster Parent Association
     National Indian Child Welfare Association
     National Kinship Alliance for Children
     North American Council on Adoptable Children
     Parents Anonymous Inc.
     Ray E. Helfer Society
     Strengthening Families All Across America
     The Dalton Daley Group
     The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
     The National Crittenton Foundation
     Think of Us
     Voice for Adoption
     Youth Law Center
     Youth Villages
     ZERO TO THREE
     State Organizations:
     Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, Inc. and the Kinship 
         Program
     AAJ Research & Evaluation (Florida)
     Arizona's Children Association
     CASA Youth Advocates (Pennsylania)
     Child and Family Services of New Hampshire
     Children & Families First (Delaware)
     Children Awaiting Parents (New York)
     Children's Action Alliance (Arizona)
     Children's Home + Aid (Illinois)
     Children's Home Society of North Carolina
     Children's Advocacy Alliance (Nevada)

[[Page E1069]]

     Children's Defense Fund--California
     Children's Defense Fund--Minnesota
     Children's Defense Fund--Mississippi
     Children's Defense Fund--New York
     Children's Defense Fund--Texas
     Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
     Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, Inc.
     Connecticut Voices for Children
     Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch (North Dakota)
     Florida's Children First, Inc.
     Foster Adopt Connect (Missouri and Kansas)
     Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
     Lutheran Social Services of Indiana
     Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange
     Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
     Partners for Our Children (Washington)
     The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
     The Children's Partnership (California)
     University of California Davis Guardian Professions Program
     Voices for Children in Nebraska
     Voices for Ohio's Children
     Voices for Virginia's Children
     YMCA of San Diego County, Kinship Support Program

                          ____________________