[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 20, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2984-H2988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1945
                FOCUSING ON NATIONAL REUNIFICATION MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include any extraneous materials on the subject of this 
Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I 
rise today to coanchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order 
hour, along with my distinguished colleague, Representative Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick.
  As we commence this CBC Special Order hour, we will dedicate the next 
60 minutes to National Reunification Month, focusing on a deeply 
concerning issue, the disproportionate separation of Black families by 
foster care and welfare services. This critical issue is not just of 
concern to the Congressional Black Caucus or Congress but a matter of 
significance for all Americans. Let us shed light on these unsettling 
realities and provide solutions and champion the reunification of 
families across our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick).
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative 
Jonathan Jackson for yielding.
  June marks National Reunification Month, allowing us to recognize the 
importance of keeping families together and the long-term benefits that 
come with stable family structures.
  As we observe this month, we must find ways to support the growing 
number of Black children who have been unnecessarily placed in foster 
care systems. As elected leaders, we must ensure that this trend does 
not continue in earnest.
  Although the share of Black children in foster care is lower than 
ever before, Black children are still drastically overrepresented in 
the child welfare system. Across the country, 20 percent of children 
entering foster care in fiscal year 2021 were Black, yet Black children 
represent just 14 percent of the general population.
  In my home State of Florida, it takes an extra 5 days, on average, 
for Black children to exit out-of-home care when compared to their 
White counterparts. This has been the status quo for far too long. From 
2005 to 2021, 1 out of 125 children who identify as Black have been in 
foster care at any given point in time. That pains me not only as a 
Black American but as a parent.
  There are several factors behind these glaring statistics, but they 
stem in large part from a combination of historical trauma and 
structural and systemic racism. Families of color are more likely to 
live in communities marked by historic disinvestment. High poverty 
rates have been exacerbated by poor housing conditions, limited access 
to employment opportunities and healthy food, as well as other 
components that are critical to raising children.
  Through no fault of their own, many Black families have found it 
difficult to meet basic family needs and raise their children in safe, 
stable homes.
  Our Nation needs to course correct. Research shows that children have 
better outcomes in life when their own families safely nurture and care 
for them. When a child must be removed from their parents, it is 
profoundly distressing for the entire family.
  This year marks the fifth anniversary of the passage of the Family 
First Prevention Services Act. This law changed how we look at child 
welfare, focusing on families as a whole. I also helped fund evidence-
based, prevention-focused activities, like those that address mental 
health needs and in-home parent skill-based programs. As we celebrate 
its anniversary, we must continue to fund programs that keep our 
children out of foster care and provide parents with the support they 
need.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick for her great words.

[[Page H2985]]

  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
  Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Jackson for 
yielding. I am so happy to be joining him and Representative Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick for this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order 
hour. Indeed, it is a special honor to talk about our children and what 
they need.
  I am so proud to be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Not 
only am I a member of this esteemed body that is concerned about foster 
youth, but I am also a member of the Bipartisan Congressional Caucus on 
Foster Youth, and I serve in that caucus as one of the six bipartisan 
chairs.
  I thank the CBC and its members who supported the Congressional 
Caucus on Foster Youth's Shadow Day this past June 14, last week. I 
thank all the Members of the House who took time to allow a former 
foster youth to join them in their day's activities as well as to hear 
from and learn from their shadows.
  If you didn't have a foster youth this year, be sure that Gwen Moore 
will be calling upon you next year to enjoy this important experience 
and feedback between the delegates and Members.
  My fellow CBC members, in particular, demonstrated their commitment 
to this special community through graciously hosting a former foster 
youth in their office for 1 day and addressing the whole delegation and 
cohort of 30 former foster youth from across the country, representing 
20 States, directly during the youth's townhall meeting.
  I thank those CBC members who stepped up last week to host a shadow, 
including my Congressional Foster Youth Caucus co-chair, Representative 
Sydney Kamlager-Dove; my Ways and Means Committee work fam subcommittee 
ranking member and longtime foster youth advocate, Representative   
Danny Davis of Illinois; and others, including Representative Emanuel 
Cleaver, Representative Terri Sewell, Representative Bobby Scott, 
Representative Barbara Lee, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, 
Representative Summer Lee, Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, 
and Representative Shontel Brown.

  Mr. Speaker, I will give a special shout-out to Representative Maxine 
Waters, who was busy with her committee and didn't actually take a 
shadow, but she met and spoke with one of the students that I shadowed 
and made his day. He was someone who was born in Los Angeles, and it 
made his day to meet the Honorable Maxine Waters.
  We also went over to the Senate side and met with Senator Booker. My 
particular shadow, Theron, is someone who is a licensed therapist, and 
his experience in foster care is that it is easier to get in trouble 
and to come in contact with the juvenile justice system for doing 
nothing but being a foster youth. He wants to make sure that we put a 
focus on the juvenile justice system with regard to its nexus with 
foster care.
  We have to stop the foster care-to-prison pipeline, Mr. Speaker. 
These are things that our foster youth are telling us.
  I represented two outstanding foster youth, Shay Grey Woods and 
Theron Ogedengbe. Just like all the foster youth that I have gotten to 
know and had the privilege to participate with during Shadow Day, 
including the late Dosha ``DJay'' Joi, I have been the student. I have 
learned from them. They have informed me about the kinds of legislative 
initiatives that need to occur and what we need to do.
  Mr. Speaker, just let me say, these foster youth who come here every 
year are leaders. These are people who have somehow overcome the many 
barriers that foster youth experience, and they are able to be a voice 
to speak for them. We should not think that because we meet these 
brilliant, young, educated foster youth that there aren't thousands 
more of them who are falling through the cracks for want of our 
guidance and care.
  It is a reminder. I remind you that behind all these statistics, 
there are real people and real stories that demonstrate their 
incredible resilience and hope that they have.
  The reason that I am really proud of Shadow Day is because it 
elevates the voices of the over 377,000 children in out-of-home care as 
of the end of 2021.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, disproportionately, Black children are 
overrepresented in the child welfare system. In my own home State of 
Wisconsin, 28 percent of the youth in out-of-home placements were Black 
or African American, whereas African-American youth in Wisconsin only 
constitute 9 percent of the population. They are overrepresented by 
three times.
  The data from the United States as a whole is similarly 
disproportionate, with 22 percent of children in the United States in 
out-of-home care being Black and only 14 percent of youth in the 
general population being African American.
  When you say that you want to lift up National Reunification Month, 
it is something we need to lift up because we have all heard the old 
adage that you divide and conquer. This is our future workforce. These 
are our future builders, doctors, teachers, people who repair our 
roofs, and it is just about impossible to do that when they start out 
with so many adverse childhood experiences, like being separated from 
their birth parents, sometimes unnecessarily.
  In a perfect world, no children would ever be separated. Of course, 
we understand that sometimes that is in the best interests of the 
children. Far too often, it is our policies under our child welfare 
system and our welfare system and our unwillingness to support parents 
where they are that are creating these out-of-home placements.
  I want to talk about some very specific reasons that children are 
taken out of these homes, if you will bear with me.
  Child neglect is the number one reason that children are taken out of 
these homes. No one wants children to be neglected. Not a single person 
in the United States Congress would want a child to be stuck in a home 
where they were being abused and neglected.
  That is really an overstatement of what actually happens. What 
actually happens is there are a lot of people who have more month than 
money. If you come to June 26 and the resources for that household have 
dried up, with some of the most onerous policies that we have around 
who can get SNAP, also called food stamps, and when you think about 
parents living in situations where 48 percent of their income has to go 
for housing, and not necessarily good housing--houses with lead paint 
in them and lead pipes and vermin, and they are still paying almost 
half their income for housing, we see a situation where children can 
easily be loved yet neglected.
  One of the things that I am going to do is reintroduce, as I have 
done for several cycles, the Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act. I 
want to reinforce the notion that these agencies should not be 
snatching kids out of their homes when providing maybe some SNAP or 
other resources to the family could preserve that family.

                              {time}  2000

  It is in the best interest of children to be at home if they can be. 
My bill would make it so much harder for these agencies to use poverty 
as a rationale to pulling families apart.
  I am looking for other ways to do it. I don't want to take up all the 
time, but I just want to mention a second reason that children are 
placed out of home, it is because of parental substance abuse.
  Mr. Jackson, I have known you and your family for a long time, so I 
know that you recall how substance abuse has become a real curse in 
this country. Drug affliction and addiction happens in every corner of 
the United States. How is it treated?
  In some communities where there are fentanyl addictions, which are 
tragic; meth addictions, which are tragic; opioid addictions, which are 
tragic, we are proposing government interventions to help people. But 
when children of foster families become addicted, they are treated 
often like criminals and have their children taken from them instead of 
them being offered treatment.
  So this year's theme for National Reunification Month is ``We believe 
in the resiliency and strength of our families.'' If that is going to 
be our motto, Mr. Jackson, we ought to do something to reinforce this 
strength and resilience and not just talk about it.
  We need policies that match this audacious goal. Policies like the 
new exemption from SNAP time arbitrary and

[[Page H2986]]

harmful time limits in the Fiscal Responsibility Act for former foster 
youth up to age 24.
  The White House has done a marvelous job, they estimated that as many 
as 50,000 youth who have aged out of foster care will now be exempt 
from onerous timelines which say that in the 3-year period you could 
only be eligible for SNAP for 3 months. In 3 years you can only get 
SNAP if you are an adult, but we have exempted foster youth from that 
provision because who do we know, Representative Jackson, who is 18 or 
19 on their own and can figure it out? I know I was still eating at 
home when I was 19.
  I am so proud, again, of you and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick for 
spending this time to lift this up to our community and our 
constituents. I am inspired by your dedication and recommitted to 
working with you as we move forward.
  I thank you for yielding to me, Mr. Jackson.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Gwen 
Moore from Wisconsin, who so eloquently and passionately articulated 
the plight of reunification and the challenges that lie before us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, the gentleman from 
Illinois and the gentlewoman from Florida, for their leadership in the 
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour this First Session of the 
118th Congress.
  They have demonstrated, even as freshmen, their leadership and 
breadth of knowledge of the issues that are important to the members of 
the Congressional Black Caucus. I thank both of them for their 
outstanding leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss June as National Reunification 
Month. It is a time to recognize the people who work daily to help 
families stay together. I know this issue personally.
  Last Wednesday, I had the honor of hosting a young constituent from 
my district during Foster Youth Shadow Day. We spent the day discussing 
legislative process and I showed her around Congress. I was impressed 
with her questions and intelligence. She deserves to grow up in a 
loving and supportive household. She is one reason we must do more to 
help families stay together in healthy environments.
  There are anywhere from 300,000 to 400,000 children in foster care 
nationwide. Yet too many children are removed from households before 
parents receive the services necessary to avoid such an action. This 
situation is worse in Black communities.
  Black families are more likely to be investigated by child protective 
services and lose children than White families. Black children spend 
more time in foster care, and they are less likely to be reunified with 
their families.
  Family reunification is better for these children overall. The youth 
that shadowed me the other day talked about where her siblings were and 
that they weren't together. Even though she is not with them, she tries 
to keep track of them, being the eldest, and has worked to make sure 
that she stays in their lives.
  Research shows that children have better outcomes in life when they 
grow up in families that nurture and care for them. There is hope for 
children in traumatic households before they even enter foster care. 
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the passage of the Family First 
Prevention Services Act.
  This law made funding available for resources and activities to make 
families healthier and safer for children. These resources include 
programs to address mental health and substance abuse issues in the 
home. Also, these programs help fathers and mothers become better 
parents.
  We need to identify families at risk sooner so we can implement these 
programs before child removal becomes necessary. We need to increase 
funding for more preventative services, such as home visits. Studies 
show that home visits lower the rate of child maltreatment, the leading 
cause of child removal. In addition, there are kin placements.
  Right now there are 2.5 million children who are being raised by 
relatives or close family friends. Research has found that children 
staying with a relative or a friend have better behavior, mental 
health, and physical health than children in foster care. They are 
allowed to grow up in their culture and stay connected to their 
families. Children do best with their own families.
  That is why we must provide more resources to families to prevent 
children from being removed at all. Healthy families are better for 
children, and they are better for America.
  As I stated, my colleague prior to me, the Honorable Gwen Moore, has 
picked up the mantle from one of our great colleagues that has moved on 
to lead the metropolis of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, who did an 
outstanding job with this program, the Foster Shadow Youth Day on 
Capitol Hill. She was an outstanding leader in that, and Ms. Moore has 
picked it up and not lost a beat.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an opportunity for us to do the best that we can 
to make sure that families stay unified and have a healthy outlook on 
life.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable   Donald 
Payne, Jr., from the State of New Jersey for those eloquent words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick).
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Caribbean American 
Heritage Month, I rise today to recognize Dr. Judith Joseph, who has 
helped shine a light on mental health issues and inspired countless 
others to seek support.
  Dr. Joseph immigrated to the U.S. from Trinidad at the age of 4. 
After growing up in a religious community, with a father as a pastor, 
Judith became interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality 
and science.
  Today, she leads a team of 10 talented women at the Manhattan 
Behavioral Medicine, who are dedicated to developing and exploring 
novel treatments for mental health conditions such as depression, 
anxiety, and ADHD.
  Dr. Joseph has shared her expertise with a wide audience, using 
social media as a positive vehicle for change in a digestible and 
accessible manner. I thank Dr. Joseph for her invaluable contribution 
to mental health research and education.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, June is National Reunification 
Month, an important designation that remains unknown to many, but one 
that warrants wider understanding and greater attention. In the grand 
tapestry of life, one universal truth weaves its thread throughout--
that none of us can journey far or aim high without some form of 
familial structure to ground us. Family, in its various forms and 
definitions, provides the anchors we all need.
  As we turn our attention to the realities underscored by the data 
from fiscal year 2021, a stark and uncomfortable picture emerges that 
further emphasizes the urgency of the matter at hand.

                              {time}  2015

  Over the year, investigations of maltreatment involved a staggering 
587,330 children in the United States.
  Each of these represents a unique story, a child who has faced abuse 
or neglect severe enough that allegations of maltreatment were 
substantiated, and a life irrevocably scarred by these experiences.
  Moreover, this vast number doesn't tell the complete story. Over 
200,000 children were placed into the foster care system in that same 
year, a heartrending reflection of the urgency and complexity of the 
issues that we confront. While these numbers are staggering on their 
own, the statistics take on an even darker shade when viewed through 
the lens of racial disparities.
  The overrepresentation of African-American children in the foster 
care system is a disturbing trend that we can no longer ignore.
  Despite representing only 14 percent of the general population, 
African-American children accounted for 20 percent of the children 
entering the foster care system in fiscal year 2021. This 
disproportionate representation extends to multiracial children as 
well, revealing a systemic bias that must be addressed.
  In certain States, this disproportionality is even more pronounced, 
spotlighting a deeply rooted racial bias that is pervasive and 
detrimental. The repercussions of these disparities stretch far beyond 
the immediate impact, creating a ripple effect that touches every 
aspect of these children's lives, from their education and

[[Page H2987]]

mental health to their future economic opportunities.
  Taking a broader perspective, if we look back over the span from 2005 
to 2021, the data paints an even more troubling picture. During this 
period, an alarming one out of every 125 children identifying as Black 
or African American found themselves in foster care at any given point 
in time. This points to a deep-seated systemic issue that transcends 
temporal and geographical boundaries, further underscoring the urgent 
need for reform.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today not just as an elected 
Representative, but as a living testament to this profound truth. I am 
an embodiment of the power of familial support and a witness to the 
transformative impact it can have on a child's life. It is within the 
secure confines of a loving family that a child can break free from the 
constraints of financial, existential, and emotional insecurity, daring 
to dream bigger, reach higher, and grow more fully.
  A grim reality, however, casts a long shadow over our Nation--the 
practice of unnecessary family separations. This is not a side issue or 
a minor concern, but a grave matter that demands serious attention and 
conscious action from each of us.
  The current system as it stands is marred by prejudice and 
arbitrariness, permitting the removal of children from their families 
without the absolute justification of immediate harm. This is a 
practice that we must challenge, question, and ultimately transform.
  The era must come to an end when social workers and others were 
permitted to pass judgment on a family's worthiness based on race, 
economic status, or cultural and religious beliefs. A family's 
integrity should not be a matter for prejudiced scrutiny but respected 
as the bedrock of our society.
  It is crucial to emphatically state that Black children, like all 
children, need the nurturing care of their parents. They need to 
experience life's joys and challenges within the safety net of their 
own families, enriching their identity and strengthening their roots.
  There exists a blatant contradiction when some claim to champion the 
cause of families while simultaneously supporting policies that 
splinter their very familial structures.
  How can one profess commitment to family values while advocating for 
policies that fundamentally undermine the very foundation of families?
  Every family, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or geographical 
origin, has an undeniable right to raise their children in an 
environment free from undue governmental interference and unwarranted 
judgment from uninvested bureaucrats. Be they Black, Hispanic, 
indigenous, Asian, from the Appalachia, or from the South Side of 
Chicago, every family deserves this opportunity.
  Perhaps it is time to look inward and address the root issues that 
plague our society. If we ensured a living wage for our workers, would 
we not see a reduction in the number of children entering the foster 
care system?
  If we treated the root causes of addiction, would we not see fewer 
children that would need to be separated from their families?
  Moreover, if we could cease making assumptions based on racial 
stereotypes about families different from our very own view, we might 
prevent the stigmatization of countless children. We might stop 
reducing them to mere cogs in the machinery of systemic racism and 
bigotry and instead acknowledge their individuality, their potential, 
and their dreams.
  Today, I implore each and every one of us and you to present this to 
the House and to lend your ears to the voices that often go unheard. 
Listen to the stories of children and young people in the foster care 
system, their struggles, their hopes, and their dreams. Remember the 
dedicated caretakers who selflessly serve these children. Children who 
have been placed in the foster care system, for reasons reckless or 
legitimate, must never be rendered invisible or forgotten.
  We must always remember that their lives matter. Their dreams are of 
critical importance to the tapestry of our future. Their spiritual, 
psychological, and emotional well-being is an essential cornerstone of 
the America we aspire to become.
  A child living with criticism--we have heard--learns to condemn. A 
child exposed to hostility learns to fight. A child steeped in shame 
learns guilt. However, if we raise a child in an environment filled 
with encouragement, fairness, and approval, then they learn to be 
confident, just, and to love themselves.
  Our government's paramount responsibility is to the welfare of our 
children. This responsibility outweighs any issues of national security 
or economic superiority. It is the heart and soul of representative 
government. Our constituents did not elect us to represent their vested 
interests but to defend and advance policies that secure a brighter and 
better future for their children.

  Nobody sent us here to indulge in meaningless squabbles. We were not 
elected to be rulers of insignificant territories. We were chosen to 
represent their hopes and dreams and to make the task of raising and 
keeping families together easier.
  As we recently celebrated Juneteenth, we remember what formerly 
enslaved Africans did after their emancipation. History bears witness 
that they walked great distances in search of family members who had 
been sold away and taken from them. They traversed the length and 
breadth of the South, driven by an indomitable spirit and an unwavering 
resolve to reunite their families. This is the spirit we should embody 
as we observe National Reunification Month.
  The Congressional Black Caucus members will not stand by and watch 
families be torn apart in America again. No child should be thrust into 
a system unless they are in immediate danger. This is our pledge, and 
this is our solemn promise.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the life of my grandmother, 
Gertrude Brown, who was a foster child who was orphaned at the age of 
14. I represent her indomitable spirit.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the honorable gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. 
Cherfilus-McCormick).
  Mrs. CHERFILUS-McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my co-chair, 
Representative Jonathan Jackson, for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, in honor of Caribbean American Heritage Month, I rise 
today to recognize Phyllisia Ross, whose prowess as a musician has 
allowed her to create unique music that reflects her Caribbean 
heritage. Since the age of 3, Ross has developed her craft of singing 
and playing the piano. In 2006, Ross graduated from the world-renowned 
A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida.
  Throughout her career, she has been able to incorporate several 
styles of genres in her music, ranging from classical to R&B, as well 
as world music in several languages. Her hit single ``Konsa'' is 
emblematic of her unique talents, paying homage to her Haitian roots in 
its kompa production style.
  Ross has brought her music around the globe--everywhere from the 
Ivory Coast to Jamaica--touching audiences worldwide. In addition, Ross 
also runs and operates her own independent music production company and 
has helped mentor young artists.
  I am proud to represent Ross and her extensive artistic contributions 
to the Caribbean community and to the United States.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick for her remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, you have heard from my distinguished colleagues about 
family reunification.
  I thank the Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Mr.  Steve Horsford. 
I thank the Honorable Gwen Moore. I thank the Honorable   Donald Payne, 
Jr. I thank my honorable colleagues who joined us today on all issues 
of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, our 
constituents, Congress, and all Americans tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, June 2023 marks National Reunification 
Month, honoring those who work tirelessly to keep families together 
across the nation.
  Here we are, recognizing the individuals and continuing initiatives 
that support keeping families together.
  The topic for this year's reunification is ``Shifting Power and 
Reconnecting Families All Year Long.''
  The three important themes during Reunification Month include:

[[Page H2988]]

  1. The fact that we should celebrate parents and children who have 
successfully reunited and understand how challenging an accomplishment 
it may be.
  2. Celebrate child welfare professionals, kin caregivers, and 
resource families who helped make reunification a reality for parents 
and children. And lastly . . .
  3. Inspire parents and professionals who are currently involved in 
child welfare to see that Reunification Matters and Reunification 
Happens.
  It is also a good time to commit once more to supporting, enhancing, 
and intensifying these initiatives all year long.
  By definition, the child welfare system is a collection of programs 
and services aimed at optimizing children's well-being by ensuring 
their safety, establishing durability, and aiding their families.
  The operation and provision of child welfare services may vary from 
state to state, but all states are accountable for adhering to federal 
and state laws.
  And yet, the stress of involvement in the child welfare system and 
foster care placement instability can contribute to or exacerbate 
mental health problems, and a child's unmet physical and mental health 
requirements have been related to placement instability.
  I want to acknowledge that there are too many, particularly Black and 
African American children, unnecessarily taken from their homes and 
placed in foster care.
  Not only are child protective agencies more likely to investigate 
Black homes, remove their children, and place them in foster care, but 
Black children are prone to spend more time in foster care and are less 
likely to be reunified with their families.
  Research tells us that Black children are less likely to be reunified 
than White and Hispanic children, older children are less likely to be 
reunified and children with health or mental health issues are less 
likely to be reunited.
  In addition, more than 200,000 kids entered foster care, and 587,330 
of those cases of maltreatment or neglect have been documented 
nationwide.
  Every child deserves a village of support.
  In Houston, there are well over 2,000 children currently in the 
foster care system.
  Texas alone response times the hotline to report child abuse, 
neglect, or exploitation, increased by half a minute, with callers 
waiting on hold an average of 5.2 minutes, since the January 2022 
report.
  Furthermore, research on kinship care has indicated that children 
placed with relatives have better behavior, mental health, and well-
being than children placed in non-relative foster care, and that 
children placed with family have higher placement stability.
  Older foster youth have the same needs as younger children for a safe 
and loving family that will support them into maturity.
  It is extremely unfair that youth who age out of foster care are more 
likely to encounter homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood, and 
substance abuse. That is why I congratulate the Hay Center for using 
Federal Block grant funds to build housing for aged out youth with 
wraparound services in Houston.
  The needs, experiences, and voices of children and youth in foster 
care as well as their families and aretakers need to be lifted.
  Everyone has a part to play in making communities and families 
stronger and lowering the need for foster care in a secure manner.
  This year commemorates the fifth anniversary of the Family First 
Prevention Services Act's passage.
  I am astounded that the passage of this law, that emphasis on the 
child alone was replaced with one that included the family as well.
  Family First made financing available for a variety of authorized 
evidence-based prevention-focused programs, such as those to address 
mental health issues, substance use disorders, and to offer parental 
skills-building.
  Family First prevention plans have been filed by 45 states including 
Texas and 4 tribes to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
and several have already started putting them into practice.
  The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the need for more innovative 
ways, like telehealth, to provide mental health services to children, 
youth, and their caretakers.
  Several state child welfare agencies are co-designing techniques to 
design with individuals and communities rather than for them. This 
method elevates the voices and experiences of adolescents, parents, 
relatives, and foster parents.
  The Harris County Plan of Safe Care Steering Committee is a cross-
sector group of organizations from academia, child welfare, healthcare, 
justice, public safety, and substance use disorder prevention 
treatment.
  The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services operates a 
``Treatment Foster Family Care'' program to stabilize children at risk 
of placement in a congregate care setting or psychiatric hospital who 
experience emotional, behavioral, or mental health difficulties.
  Transforming the child welfare system will require the development of 
new policies, practices, and infrastructures that prioritize prevention 
and the well-being of children and families.
  As well as meaningful participation of those with lived experience in 
all stages of reform planning, development, and implementation.
  Many people find the process of receiving assistance to be 
unnecessarily difficult.
  Not to mention the overwhelmingly horrifying number of children who 
are placed in unlicensed homes.
  It is illegal to place children overnight in unlicensed facilities, 
but because of mounting demand, children are sleeping in such places 
anyway.
  The harm to faster children goes beyond loneliness and missed meals.
  It saddens me to know foster children have been subjected to physical 
and sexual abuse in these temporary placements.
  Children have gone missing while in state care and some have been 
groomed for sexual trafficking.
  CPS workers--trained for case management, not therapeutic care--have 
their hands tied in how to respond.
  We are talking about traumatized children who have been subjected to 
abuse and neglect.
  Children who are now being housed in temporary residential treatment 
centers or temporary group homes under the supervision of CPS staff.
  Placement into foster care is a significant and traumatic experience 
in the life of a child, and for their family.
  That is why we need to work to support and strengthen families and 
prevent unnecessary removals of children from their homes.
  Too often, the perspectives of children, youth, and families, have 
been silenced in debates about how communities may improve their 
approach to child and family well-being.
  We should all believe in hope.
  Hope is the belief by a family that despite the challenges they face, 
the strength and support of neighbors and others in the community will 
help them to overcome and thrive.
  Childhood should be some of the most beautiful moments of your life.
  No one person young or old should endure what many of our nation's 
people are experiencing.
  No child left behind means exactly that.
  Our children are the future, the past and most importantly the 
present.
  Do not take your focus off of the important and what some may deem 
``touchy'' subjects, because they are the most pivotal in the end.
  They are all of our children and every one of us is needed to 
safeguard and protect them.
  As co-chair of the Children's Caucus, I encourage all of us to 
continue to dig deeper, love more and reach out to children in need.
  As Members of Congress, it is our duty to do even more to ensure all 
safeguards are in place and to uphold laws, and to create or amend laws 
where needed.

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