[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13956-13969]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION ACT

  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2883) to amend part B of title IV of the Social 
Security Act to extend the child and family services program through 
fiscal year 2016, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2883

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act''.

        TITLE I--EXTENSION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES PROGRAMS

     SEC. 101. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES CHILD WELFARE SERVICES 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) Extension of Program.--Section 425 of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 625) is amended by striking ``2007 
     through 2011'' and inserting ``2012 through 2016''.
       (b) Modification of Certain State Plan Requirements.--
       (1) Response to emotional trauma.--Section 
     422(b)(15)(A)(ii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)(15)(A)(ii)) 
     is amended by inserting ``, including emotional trauma 
     associated with a child's maltreatment and removal from 
     home'' before the semicolon.
       (2) Procedures on the use of psychotropic medications.--
     Section 422(b)(15)(A)(v) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     622(b)(15)(A)(v)) is amended by inserting ``, including 
     protocols for the appropriate use and monitoring of 
     psychotropic medications'' before the semicolon.
       (3) Description of activities to address developmental 
     needs of very young children.--Section 422(b) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 622(b)) is amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (16);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (17) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(18) include a description of the activities that the 
     State has undertaken to reduce the length of time children 
     who have not attained 5 years of age are without a permanent 
     family, and the activities the State undertakes to address 
     the developmental needs of such children who receive benefits 
     or services under this part or part E.''.
       (4) Data sources for child death reporting.--Section 422(b) 
     of such Act (42 U.S.C. 622(b)), as amended by paragraph (3) 
     of this subsection, is amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (17);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (18) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(19) contain a description of the sources used to compile 
     information on child maltreatment deaths required by Federal 
     law to be reported by the State agency referred to in 
     paragraph (1), and to the extent that the compilation does 
     not include information on such deaths from the State vital 
     statistics department, child death review teams, law 
     enforcement agencies, or offices of medical examiners or 
     coroners, the State shall describe why the information is not 
     so included and how the State will include the 
     information.''.
       (c) Child Visitation by Caseworkers.--Section 424 of such 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 624) is amended by striking the 2nd subsection 
     (e), as added by section 7(b) of the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement Act of 2006, and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(f)(1)(A) Each State shall take such steps as are 
     necessary to ensure that the total number of visits made by 
     caseworkers on a monthly basis to children in foster care 
     under the responsibility of the State during a fiscal year is 
     not less than 90 percent (or, in the case of fiscal year 2015 
     or thereafter, 95 percent) of the total number of such visits 
     that would occur during the fiscal year if each such child 
     were so visited once every month while in such care.
       ``(B) If the Secretary determines that a State has failed 
     to comply with subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, then the 
     percentage that would otherwise apply for purposes of 
     subsection (a) for the fiscal year shall be reduced by--

[[Page 13957]]

       ``(i) 1, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short of the percentage specified in 
     subparagraph (A) is less than 10;
       ``(ii) 3, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 10 and less than 20; or
       ``(iii) 5, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 20.
       ``(2)(A) Each State shall take such steps as are necessary 
     to ensure that not less than 50 percent of the total number 
     of visits made by caseworkers to children in foster care 
     under the responsibility of the State during a fiscal year 
     occur in the residence of the child involved.
       ``(B) If the Secretary determines that a State has failed 
     to comply with subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year, then the 
     percentage that would otherwise apply for purposes of 
     subsection (a) for the fiscal year shall be reduced by--
       ``(i) 1, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short of the percentage specified in 
     subparagraph (A) is less than 10;
       ``(ii) 3, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 10 and less than 20; or
       ``(iii) 5, if the number of full percentage points by which 
     the State fell short, as described in clause (i), is not less 
     than 20.''.
       (d) Technical Correction.--Section 423(b) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 623(b)) is amended by striking ``per centum'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``percent''.

     SEC. 102. PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM.

       (a) Extension of Funding Authorizations.--
       (1) In general.--Section 436(a) of the Social Security Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629f(a)) is amended by striking all that follows 
     ``$345,000,000'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years 
     2012 through 2016.''.
       (2) Discretionary grants.--Section 437(a) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629g(a)) is amended by striking ``2007 through 2011'' 
     and inserting ``2012 through 2016''.
       (b) Targeting of Services to Populations at Greatest Risk 
     of Maltreatment.--Section 432(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629b(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (8);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (9) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(10) describes how the State identifies which populations 
     are at the greatest risk of maltreatment and how services are 
     targeted to the populations.''.
       (c) Revised Purposes of Family Support Services and Time-
     limited Family Reunification Services.--
       (1) Family support services.--Section 431(a)(2) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(2) Family support services.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `family support services' means 
     community-based services designed to carry out the purposes 
     described in subparagraph (B).
       ``(B) Purposes described.--The purposes described in this 
     subparagraph are the following:
       ``(i) To promote the safety and well-being of children and 
     families.
       ``(ii) To increase the strength and stability of families 
     (including adoptive, foster, and extended families).
       ``(iii) To increase parents' confidence and competence in 
     their parenting abilities.
       ``(iv) To afford children a safe, stable, and supportive 
     family environment.
       ``(v) To strengthen parental relationships and promote 
     healthy marriages.
       ``(vi) To enhance child development, including through 
     mentoring (as defined in section 439(b)(2)).''.
       (2) Time-limited family reunification services.--Section 
     431(a)(7)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629a(a)(7)(B)) is amended 
     by redesignating clause (vi) as clause (viii) and inserting 
     after clause (v) the following:
       ``(vi) Peer-to-peer mentoring and support groups for 
     parents and primary caregivers.
       ``(vii) Services and activities designed to facilitate 
     access to and visitation of children by parents and 
     siblings.''.
       (d) Uniform Definitions of Indian Tribe and Tribal 
     Organization.--Section 431(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629a(a)(5) and (6)) is amended by striking paragraphs (5) and 
     (6) and inserting the following:
       ``(5) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 428(c).
       ``(6) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 428(c).''.
       (e) Submission to Congress of State Summaries of Financial 
     Data; Publication on Hhs Website.--Section 432(c) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629b(c)) is amended--
       (1) by striking all that precedes ``shall'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(c) Annual Submission of State Reports to Congress.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary''; and
       (2) by adding after and below the end the following:
       ``(2) Information to be included.--The compilation shall 
     include the individual State reports and tables that 
     synthesize State information into national totals for each 
     element required to be included in the reports, including 
     planned and actual spending by service category for the 
     program authorized under this subpart and planned spending by 
     service category for the program authorized under subpart 1.
       ``(3) Public accessibility.--Not later than September 30 of 
     each year, the Secretary shall publish the compilation on the 
     website of the Department of Health and Human Services in a 
     location easily accessible by the public.''.
       (f) GAO Report on Multiple Sources of Federal Spending and 
     Family Access to Services.--Not later than 12 months after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 
     the United States shall submit to Congress a report that--
       (1) identifies alternative sources of Federal funding that 
     are being employed by States or other entities for the same 
     purposes for which funding is provided under subpart 1 or 2 
     of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act; and
       (2) assesses the needs of families eligible for services 
     under such program, including identification of underserved 
     communities and information regarding--
       (A) the supports available for caseworkers to appropriately 
     investigate and safely manage their caseloads;
       (B) the length of the wait time for families to receive 
     substance abuse and other preventive services; and
       (C) the number of families on waiting lists for such 
     services and the effect of the delay on healthy, successful 
     reunification outcomes for such families.
       (g) Technical Corrections.--
       (1) Section 432(a)(8)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629b(a)(8)(B)) is amended in each of clauses (i) and 
     (ii) by striking ``forms CFS 101-Part I and CFS 101-Part II 
     (or any successor forms)'' and inserting ``form CFS-101 
     (including all parts and any successor forms)''.
       (2) Section 433(c)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629c(c)(2)) is amended--
       (A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Food stamp'' 
     and inserting ``Supplemental nutrition assistance program 
     benefits''; and
       (B) by striking ``benefits benefits'' each place it appears 
     and inserting ``benefits''.

     SEC. 103. GRANTS FOR TARGETED PURPOSES.

       (a) Extension of Funding Reservations for Monthly 
     Caseworker Visits and Regional Partnership Grants.--Section 
     436(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)) is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``433(e)'' and all 
     that follows and inserting ``433(e) $20,000,000 for each of 
     fiscal years 2012 through 2016.''; and
       (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ``437(f)'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``437(f) $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2012 through 2016.''.
       (b) Revision in Use of Monthly Caseworker Visits Grants.--
     Section 436(b)(4)(B)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(b)(4)(B)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking ``support'' and insert ``improve the 
     quality of''; and
       (2) by striking ``a primary emphasis'' and all that follows 
     and inserting ``an emphasis on improving caseworker decision 
     making on the safety, permanency, and well-being of foster 
     children and on activities designed to increase retention, 
     recruitment, and training of caseworkers.''; and
       (c) Reauthorization of Regional Partnership Grants to 
     Assist Children Affected by Parental Substance Abuse.--
       (1) Extension of program.--Section 437(f)(3)(A) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ``2007 
     through 2011'' and inserting ``2012 through 2016''.
       (2) Revisions to program.--Section 437(f) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 629g(f)) is amended--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
     ``Methamphetamine or Other'';
       (B) in each of paragraphs (1), (4)(A), (7)(A)(i), and 
     (9)(B)(iii), by striking ``methamphetamine or other'';
       (C) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraph (B) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(B) Required minimum period of approval.--
       ``(i) In general.--A grant shall be awarded under this 
     subsection for a period of not less than 2, and not more than 
     5, fiscal years, subject to clause (ii).
       ``(ii) Extension of grant.--On application of the grantee, 
     the Secretary may extend for not more than 2 fiscal years the 
     period for which a grant is awarded under this subsection.
       ``(C) Multiple grants allowed.--This subsection shall not 
     be interpreted to prevent a grantee from applying for, or 
     being awarded, separate grants under this subsection.'';
       (D) in paragraph (6)(A)--
       (i) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (ii);
       (ii) by striking the period at the end of clause (iii) and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iv) 70 percent for the sixth such fiscal year; and
       ``(v) 65 percent for the seventh such fiscal year.'';
       (E) in paragraph (7)--
       (i) by striking ``shall--'' and all that follows through 
     ``(A) take'' and inserting ``shall take'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A)(iv), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a period;
       (iii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
       (iv) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iv) of 
     subparagraph (A) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), 
     respectively, and moving each of such provisions 2 ems to the 
     left; and
       (F) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(10) Limitation on use of funds for administrative 
     expenses of the secretary.--Not more than 5 percent of the 
     amounts appropriated or reserved for awarding grants under 
     this subsection for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016 
     may be used by the Secretary for

[[Page 13958]]

     salaries and Department of Health and Human Services 
     administrative expenses in administering this subsection.''.
       (3) Evaluations.--Not later than December 31, 2012, and not 
     later than December 31, 2017, the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services shall evaluate the effectiveness of the grants 
     awarded to regional partnerships under section 437(f) of the 
     Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(f)) and shall publish a 
     report regarding the results of each evaluation on the 
     website of the Department of Health and Human Services. Each 
     report required to be published under this subsection shall 
     include--
       (A) an evaluation of the programs and activities conducted, 
     and the services provided, with the grant funds awarded under 
     such section for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, in the case 
     of the evaluation required by December 31, 2012, and for 
     fiscal years 2012 through 2016, in the case of the evaluation 
     required by December 31, 2017;
       (B) an analysis of the regional partnerships awarded such 
     grants that have, and have not, been successful in achieving 
     the goals and outcomes specified in their grant applications 
     and with respect to the performance indicators established by 
     the Secretary under paragraph (8) of such section that are 
     applicable to their grant awards; and
       (C) an analysis of the extent to which such grants have 
     been successful in addressing the needs of families with 
     methamphetamine or other substance abuse problems who come to 
     the attention of the child welfare system and in achieving 
     the goals of child safety, permanence, and family stability.

     SEC. 104. COURT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

       (a) Grant Purposes.--Section 438(a) of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting ``, including the requirements in the Act related 
     to concurrent planning;'';
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(C) to increase and improve engagement of the entire 
     family in court processes relating to child welfare, family 
     preservation, family reunification, and adoption;''; and
       (2) in paragraph (4)--
       (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``(4)'';
       (B) by striking the period and inserting ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding after and below the end the following:
       ``(B) to increase and improve engagement of the entire 
     family in court processes relating to child welfare, family 
     preservation, family reunification, and adoption.''.
       (b) Single Grant Application.--Section 438(b)(2) of such 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 629h(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(2) Single grant application.--Pursuant to the 
     requirements under paragraph (1) of this subsection, a 
     highest State court desiring a grant under this section shall 
     submit a single application to the Secretary that specifies 
     whether the application is for a grant for--
       ``(A) the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
     subsection (a);
       ``(B) the purpose described in subsection (a)(3);
       ``(C) the purpose described in subsection (a)(4); or
       ``(D) the purposes referred to in 2 or more (specifically 
     identified) of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this 
     paragraph.''.
       (c) Amount of Grant.--Section 438(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629h(c)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(c) Amount of Grant.--
       ``(1) In general.--With respect to each of subparagraphs 
     (A), (B), and (C) of subsection (b)(2) that refers to 1 or 
     more grant purposes for which an application of a highest 
     State court is approved under this section, the court shall 
     be entitled to payment, for each of fiscal years 2012 through 
     2016, from the amount allocated under paragraph (3) of this 
     subsection for grants for the purpose or purposes, of an 
     amount equal to $85,000 plus the amount described in 
     paragraph (2) of this subsection with respect to the purpose 
     or purposes.
       ``(2) Amount described.--The amount described in this 
     paragraph for any fiscal year with respect to the purpose or 
     purposes referred to in a subparagraph of subsection (b)(2) 
     is the amount that bears the same ratio to the total of the 
     amounts allocated under paragraph (3) of this subsection for 
     grants for the purpose or purposes as the number of 
     individuals in the State who have not attained 21 years of 
     age bears to the total number of such individuals in all 
     States the highest State courts of which have approved 
     applications under this section for grants for the purpose or 
     purposes.
       ``(3) Allocation of funds.--
       ``(A) Mandatory funds.--Of the amounts reserved under 
     section 436(b)(2) for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     allocate--
       ``(i) $9,000,000 for grants for the purposes described in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a);
       ``(ii) $10,000,000 for grants for the purpose described in 
     subsection (a)(3);
       ``(iii) $10,000,000 for grants for the purpose described in 
     subsection (a)(4); and
       ``(iv) $1,000,000 for grants to be awarded on a competitive 
     basis among the highest courts of Indian tribes or tribal 
     consortia that--

       ``(I) are operating a program under part E, in accordance 
     with section 479B;
       ``(II) are seeking to operate a program under part E and 
     have received an implementation grant under section 476; or
       ``(III) has a court responsible for proceedings related to 
     foster care or adoption.

       ``(B) Discretionary funds.--The Secretary shall allocate 
     all of the amounts reserved under section 437(b)(2) for 
     grants for the purposes described in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
     of subsection (a).''.
       (d) Extension of Federal Share.--Section 438(d) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 629h(d)) is amended by striking ``2002 through 
     2011'' and inserting ``2012 through 2016''.
       (e) Technical Correction.--Effective as if included in the 
     enactment of the Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of 
     Foster Children Act of 2006, section 8(b) of such Act (120 
     Stat. 513) is amended by striking ``438(b) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 638(b))'' inserting ``438(b)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
     629h(b)(1))''.

     SEC. 105. DATA STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED DATA MATCHING.

       (a) In General.--Part B of title IV of the Social Security 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 621-629i) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

                     ``Subpart 3--Common Provisions

     ``SEC. 440. DATA STANDARDIZATION FOR IMPROVED DATA MATCHING.

       ``(a) Standard Data Elements.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The Secretary, in consultation with an 
     interagency work group established by the Office of 
     Management and Budget, and considering State perspectives, 
     shall, by rule, designate standard data elements for any 
     category of information required to be reported under this 
     part.
       ``(2) Data elements must be nonproprietary and 
     interoperable.--The standard data elements designated under 
     paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable, be 
     nonproprietary and interoperable.
       ``(3) Other requirements.--In designating standard data 
     elements under this subsection, the Secretary shall, to the 
     extent practicable, incorporate--
       ``(A) interoperable standards developed and maintained by 
     an international voluntary consensus standards body, as 
     defined by the Office of Management and Budget, such as the 
     International Organization for Standardization;
       ``(B) interoperable standards developed and maintained by 
     intergovernmental partnerships, such as the National 
     Information Exchange Model; and
       ``(C) interoperable standards developed and maintained by 
     Federal entities with authority over contracting and 
     financial assistance, such as the Federal Acquisition 
     Regulatory Council.
       ``(b) Data Standards for Reporting.--
       ``(1) Designation.--The Secretary, in consultation with an 
     interagency work group established by the Office of 
     Management and Budget, and considering State government 
     perspectives, shall, by rule, designate data reporting 
     standards to govern the reporting required under this part.
       ``(2) Requirements.--The data reporting standards required 
     by paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable--
       ``(A) incorporate a widely-accepted, non-proprietary, 
     searchable, computer-readable format;
       ``(B) be consistent with and implement applicable 
     accounting principles; and
       ``(C) be capable of being continually upgraded as 
     necessary.
       ``(3) Incorporation of nonproprietary standards.--In 
     designating reporting standards under this subsection, the 
     Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate 
     existing nonproprietary standards, such as the eXtensible 
     Business Reporting Language.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on October 1, 2012, and shall apply with 
     respect to information required to be reported on or after 
     such date.

     SEC. 106. PROVISIONS RELATING TO FOSTER CARE OR ADOPTION.

       (a) Educational Stability for Each Foster Placement.--
     Section 475(1)(G) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     675(1)(G)) is amended--
       (1) in clause (i), by striking ``the placement'' and 
     inserting ``each placement''; and
       (2) in clause (ii)(I), by inserting ``each'' before 
     ``placement''.
       (b) Foster Youth ID Theft.--Section 475(5) of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 675(5)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (G);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (H) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(I) each child in foster care under the responsibility of 
     the State who has attained 16 years of age receives without 
     cost a copy of any consumer report (as defined in section 
     603(d) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act) pertaining to the 
     child each year until the child is discharged from care, and 
     receives assistance (including, when feasible, from any 
     court-appointed advocate for the child) in interpreting and 
     resolving any inaccuracies in the report.''.
       (c) Description of Adoption Spending.--Section 473(a)(8) of 
     such Act (42 U.S.C. 673(a)(8)) is amended by inserting ``, 
     and shall document how such amounts are spent, including on 
     post-adoption services'' before the period.
       (d) Inclusion in Annual Report of Additional Information on 
     Child Visitation by Caseworkers.--Section 479A(6) of such Act 
     (42 U.S.C. 679b(6)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A); and
       (2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C) 
     and inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
       ``(B) the total number of visits made by caseworkers on a 
     monthly basis to children in foster care under the 
     responsibility of the State during

[[Page 13959]]

     a fiscal year as a percentage of the total number of the 
     visits that would occur during the fiscal year if each child 
     were so visited once every month while in such care; and''.

     SEC. 107. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       (a) In General.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     title, this title and the amendments made by this title shall 
     take effect on October 1, 2011, and shall apply to payments 
     under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act 
     for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, 
     without regard to whether regulations to implement the 
     amendments are promulgated by such date.
       (b) Delay Permitted if State Legislation Required.--If the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services determines that State 
     legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) is 
     required in order for a State plan developed pursuant to 
     subpart 1 of part B, or a State plan approved under subpart 2 
     of part B or part E, of title IV of the Social Security Act 
     to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments 
     made by this title, the plan shall not be regarded as failing 
     to meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day 
     of the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the first regular 
     session of the State legislature that begins after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act. If the State has a 2-year 
     legislative session, each year of the session is deemed to be 
     a separate regular session of the State legislature.

             TITLE II--CHILD WELFARE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS

     SEC. 201. RENEWAL OF AUTHORITY TO APPROVE DEMONSTRATION 
                   PROJECTS DESIGNED TO TEST INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES 
                   IN STATE CHILD WELFARE PROGRAMS.

       Section 1130 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a-9) 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2) Limitation.--During fiscal years 2012 through 2014, 
     the Secretary may authorize demonstration projects described 
     in paragraph (1), with not more than 10 demonstration 
     projects to be authorized in each fiscal year.''.
       (B) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:
       ``(3) Conditions for state eligibility.--For purposes of a 
     new demonstration project under this section that is 
     initially approved in any of fiscal years 2012 through 2014, 
     a State shall be authorized to conduct such demonstration 
     project only if the State satisfies the following conditions:
       ``(A) Identify 1 or more goals.--
       ``(i) In general.--The State shall demonstrate that the 
     demonstration project is designed to accomplish 1 or more of 
     the following goals:

       ``(I) Increase permanency for all infants, children, and 
     youth by reducing the time in foster placements when possible 
     and promoting a successful transition to adulthood for older 
     youth.
       ``(II) Increase positive outcomes for infants, children, 
     youth, and families in their homes and communities, including 
     tribal communities, and improve the safety and well-being of 
     infants, children, and youth.
       ``(III) Prevent child abuse and neglect and the re-entry of 
     infants, children, and youth into foster care.

       ``(ii) Long-term therapeutic family treatment centers; 
     addressing domestic violence.--With respect to a 
     demonstration project that is designed to accomplish 1 or 
     more of the goals described in clause (i), the State may 
     elect to establish a program--

       ``(I) to permit foster care maintenance payments to be made 
     under part E of title IV to a long-term therapeutic family 
     treatment center (as described in paragraph (8)(B)) on behalf 
     of a child residing in the center; or
       ``(II) to identify and address domestic violence that 
     endangers children and results in the placement of children 
     in foster care.

       ``(B) Demonstrate readiness.--The State shall demonstrate 
     through a narrative description the State's capacity to 
     effectively use the authority to conduct a demonstration 
     project under this section by identifying changes the State 
     has made or plans to make in policies, procedures, or other 
     elements of the State's child welfare program that will 
     enable the State to successfully achieve the goal or goals of 
     the project.
       ``(C) Demonstrate implemented or planned child welfare 
     program improvement policies.--
       ``(i) In general.--The State shall demonstrate that the 
     State has implemented, or plans to implement within 3 years 
     of the date on which the State submits its application to 
     conduct the demonstration project or 2 years after the date 
     on which the Secretary approves such demonstration project 
     (whichever is later), at least 2 of the child welfare program 
     improvement policies described in paragraph (7).
       ``(ii) Previous implementation.--For purposes of the 
     requirement described in clause (i), at least 1 of the child 
     welfare program improvement policies to be implemented by the 
     State shall be a policy that the State has not previously 
     implemented as of the date on which the State submits an 
     application to conduct the demonstration project.
       ``(iii) Implementation review.--The Secretary may terminate 
     the authority of a State to conduct a demonstration project 
     under this section if, after the 3-year period following 
     approval of the demonstration project, the State has not made 
     significant progress in implementing the child welfare 
     program improvement policies proposed by the State under 
     clause (i).'';
       (C) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``and the ability of the 
     State to implement a corrective action plan approved under 
     section 1123A'' before the period; and
       (D) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) Inapplicability of random assignment for control 
     groups as a factor for approval of demonstration projects.--
     For purposes of evaluating an application to conduct a 
     demonstration project under this section, the Secretary shall 
     not take into consideration whether such project requires 
     random assignment of children and families to groups served 
     under the project and to control groups.
       ``(7) Child welfare program improvement policies.--For 
     purposes of paragraph (3)(C), the child welfare program 
     improvement policies described in this paragraph are the 
     following:
       ``(A) The establishment of a bill of rights for infants, 
     children, and youth in foster care that is widely shared and 
     clearly outlines protections for infants, children, and 
     youth, such as assuring frequent visits with parents, 
     siblings, and caseworkers, access to attorneys, and 
     participation in age-appropriate extracurricular activities, 
     and procedures for ensuring the protections are provided.
       ``(B) The development and implementation of a plan for 
     meeting the health and mental health needs of infants, 
     children, and youth in foster care that includes ensuring 
     that the provision of health and mental health care is child-
     specific, comprehensive, appropriate, and consistent (through 
     means such as ensuring the infant, child, or youth has a 
     medical home, regular wellness medical visits, and addressing 
     the issue of trauma, when appropriate).
       ``(C) The inclusion in the State plan under section 471 of 
     an amendment implementing the option under subsection (a)(28) 
     of that section to enter into kinship guardianship assistance 
     agreements.
       ``(D) The election under the State plan under section 471 
     to define a `child' for purposes of the provision of foster 
     care maintenance payments, adoption assistance payments, and 
     kinship guardianship assistance payments, so as to include 
     individuals described in each of subclauses (I), (II), and 
     (III) of section 475(8)(B)(i) who have not attained age 21.
       ``(E) The development and implementation of a plan that 
     ensures congregate care is used appropriately and reduces the 
     placement of children and youth in such care.
       ``(F) Of those infants, children, and youth in out-of-home 
     placements, substantially increasing the number of cases of 
     siblings who are in the same foster care, kinship 
     guardianship, or adoptive placement, above the number of such 
     cases in fiscal year 2008.
       ``(G) The development and implementation of a plan to 
     improve the recruitment and retention of high quality foster 
     family homes trained to help assist infants, children, and 
     youth swiftly secure permanent families. Supports for foster 
     families under such a plan may include increasing maintenance 
     payments to more adequately meet the needs of infants, 
     children, and youth in foster care and expanding training, 
     respite care, and other support services for foster parents.
       ``(H) The establishment of procedures designed to assist 
     youth as they prepare for their transition out of foster 
     care, such as arranging for participation in age-appropriate 
     extra-curricular activities, providing appropriate access to 
     cell phones, computers, and opportunities to obtain a 
     driver's license, providing notification of all sibling 
     placements if siblings are in care and sibling location if 
     siblings are out of care, and providing counseling and 
     financial support for post-secondary education.
       ``(I) The inclusion in the State plan under section 471 of 
     a description of State procedures for--
       ``(i) ensuring that youth in foster care who have attained 
     age 16 are engaged in discussions, including during the 
     development of the transition plans required under paragraphs 
     (1)(D) and (5)(H) of section 475, that explore whether the 
     youth wishes to reconnect with the youth's biological family, 
     including parents, grandparents, and siblings, and, if so, 
     what skills and strategies the youth will need to 
     successfully and safely reconnect with those family members;
       ``(ii) providing appropriate guidance and services to youth 
     whom affirm an intent to reconnect with biological family 
     members on how to successfully and safely manage such 
     reconnections; and
       ``(iii) making, when appropriate, efforts to include 
     biological family members in such reconnection efforts.
       ``(J) The establishment of one or more of the following 
     programs designed to prevent infants, children, and youth 
     from entering foster care or to provide permanency for 
     infants, children, and youth in foster care:
       ``(i) An intensive family finding program.
       ``(ii) A kinship navigator program.
       ``(iii) A family counseling program, such as a family group 
     decision-making program, and which may include in-home peer 
     support for families.
       ``(iv) A comprehensive family-based substance abuse 
     treatment program.
       ``(v) A program under which special efforts are made to 
     identify and address domestic violence that endangers 
     infants, children, and youth and puts them at risk of 
     entering foster care.
       ``(vi) A mentoring program.
       ``(8) Definitions.--In this subsection--
       ``(A) the term `youth' means, with respect to a State, an 
     individual who has attained age 12 but has not attained the 
     age at which an individual is no longer considered to be a 
     child under the State plans under parts B and E of title IV, 
     and

[[Page 13960]]

       ``(B) the term `long-term therapeutic family treatment 
     center' means a State licensed or certified program that 
     enables parents and their children to live together in a safe 
     environment for a period of not less than 6 months and 
     provides, on-site or by referral, substance abuse treatment 
     services, children's early intervention services, family 
     counseling, legal services, medical care, mental health 
     services, nursery and preschool, parenting skills training, 
     pediatric care, prenatal care, sexual abuse therapy, relapse 
     prevention, transportation, and job or vocational training or 
     classes leading to a secondary school diploma or a 
     certificate of general equivalence.'';
       (2) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
       ``(d) Duration of Demonstration.--
       ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), a 
     demonstration project under this section may be conducted for 
     not more than 5 years, unless in the judgment of the 
     Secretary, the demonstration project should be allowed to 
     continue.
       ``(2) Termination of authority.--In no event shall a 
     demonstration project under this section be conducted after 
     September 30, 2019.'';
       (3) in subsection (e)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(which shall provide,'' 
     and all that follows before the semicolon;
       (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6);
       (C) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
       (D) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
       ``(7) an accounting of any additional Federal, State, and 
     local investments made, as well as any private investments 
     made in coordination with the State, during the 2 fiscal 
     years preceding the application to provide the services 
     described in paragraph (1), and an assurance that the State 
     will provide an accounting of that same spending for each 
     year of an approved demonstration project; and'';
       (4) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h);
       (5) by striking subsection (f) and inserting the following:
       ``(f) Evaluations.--Each State authorized to conduct a 
     demonstration project under this section shall obtain an 
     evaluation by an independent contractor of the effectiveness 
     of the project, using an evaluation design approved by the 
     Secretary which provides for--
       ``(1) comparison of methods of service delivery under the 
     project, and such methods under a State plan or plans, with 
     respect to efficiency, economy, and any other appropriate 
     measures of program management;
       ``(2) comparison of outcomes for children and families (and 
     groups of children and families) under the project, and such 
     outcomes under a State plan or plans, for purposes of 
     assessing the effectiveness of the project in achieving 
     program goals; and
       ``(3) any other information that the Secretary may require.
       ``(g) Reports.--
       ``(1) State reports; public availability.--Each State 
     authorized to conduct a demonstration project under this 
     section shall--
       ``(A) submit periodic reports to the Secretary on the 
     specific programs, activities, and strategies used to improve 
     outcomes for infants, children, youth, and families and the 
     results achieved for infants, children, and youth during the 
     conduct of the demonstration project, including with respect 
     to those infants, children, and youth who are prevented from 
     entering foster care, infants, children, and youth in foster 
     care, and infants, children, and youth who move from foster 
     care to permanent families; and
       ``(B) post a copy of each such report on the website for 
     the State child welfare program concurrent with the 
     submission of the report to the Secretary.
       ``(2) Reports to congress.--The Secretary shall submit to 
     the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate--
       ``(A) periodic reports based on the State reports submitted 
     under paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) a report based on the results of the State 
     evaluations required under subsection (f) that includes an 
     analysis of the results of such evaluations and such 
     recommendations for administrative or legislative changes as 
     the Secretary determines appropriate.''; and
       (6) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Indian Tribes Operating IV-E Programs Considered 
     States.--An Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal 
     consortium that has elected to operate a program under part E 
     of title IV in accordance with section 479B shall be 
     considered a State for purposes of this section.''.

                      TITLE III--BUDGET PROVISIONS

     SEC. 301. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the subject of the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2883, the Child and Family Services 
Improvement and Innovation Act, a bill that continues a tradition of 
bipartisanship in crafting child welfare legislation.
  The bill we're considering today reauthorizes two important child 
welfare programs, incorporating a series of improvements developed 
during hearings held by the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human 
Resources over the past few months.
  In addition to continuing and making improvements to two major child 
welfare programs, this bill also renews authority for the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to approve child welfare waivers during the 
next 3 years. Past waivers have allowed States to test new and better 
ways of helping children at risk of abuse and neglect.
  Earlier this year, the House unanimously passed legislation renewing 
this authority, but the Senate has not followed suit.
  This bill, which our colleagues in the Senate also support and which 
was favorably reported by the Senate Finance Committee yesterday, will 
allow innovation to continue and may yield information to improve child 
welfare programs in the future. The bill will also establish a process 
to create needed data standards in child welfare programs. This 
language is a first step towards improving collaboration between social 
service programs.
  We have often heard in hearings that States and programs within 
States have difficulty coordinating services because of difficulty 
sharing data, and that this lack of coordination increases costs and 
decreases effectiveness. This bill directs the Secretary of HHS to work 
with the States to establish national data standards so that all State 
child welfare programs are speaking the same language.
  To show the wide support for this bill, Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
insert letters of support into the Record from the following 
organizations: The National Conference of State Legislatures; the 
American Public Human Services Association; the Conference of Chief 
Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators; the American 
Institute of CPAs; the American Humane Association; the North American 
Council on Adoptable Children; Voice for Adoption; the Association on 
American Indian Affairs; the National Indian Child Welfare Association; 
Youth Villages; First Focus Campaign for Children; Zero to Three (The 
National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families); the National 
Foster Care Coalition; the Child Welfare League of America; the 
Children's Defense Fund; the Center for the Study of Social Policy; and 
the Public Children Services Association of Ohio.

                               National Foster Care Coalition,

                               Washington, DC, September 13, 2011.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Hatch, Chairman Davis 
     and Ranking Member Doggett: The National Foster Care 
     Coalition extends its support to the reforms made through the 
     Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 
     2011.
       In these challenging times we still believe important 
     reforms can be made with the child welfare system. Waiver 
     provisions provide an opportunity for states to strengthen 
     their child welfare systems in some very important ways.

[[Page 13961]]

       We appreciate and support the inclusion of important 
     provisions we highlighted including: Greater attention placed 
     on the care and the development of infants and toddlers who 
     come into contact with the child welfare system. Continuation 
     of the substance abuse grants and that these grants will have 
     a broader substance abuse focus. Funding for child welfare 
     workforce development and the accompanying requirements on 
     monthly visits to children in foster care. Additional 
     clarification on the state tracking and reporting of the 
     adoption maintenance-of-effort provisions as enacted by PL 
     110-351 will provide a greater assurance that more funds are 
     re-invested into state child welfare systems. Clarification 
     of the education protection for children in foster care. 
     Provisions that will help address issue young people in 
     foster care face with identity theft. Attention to youth 
     rights, participation in transition planning, and connections 
     with birth family members.
       We also support the increased attention to tracking the use 
     of psychotropic medications, the increased focus on 
     addressing trauma, the new study on the recruitment of 
     foster, adoptive and kin parents and we want to extend our 
     assistance in addressing the challenges of making 
     improvements to data collection and data matching.
       We appreciate your efforts to move the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 forward in a 
     bipartisan/bicameral way by the end of September. The 
     National Foster Care Coalition will promote this legislation 
     among its membership and is pleased to provide any assistance 
     in moving the legislation forward.
           Sincerely,
     The National Foster Care Coalition.
                                  ____



                                                        PCSAO,

                                 Columbus, OH, September 14, 2011.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommitte on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommitte on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Hatch, Chairman Davis 
     and Ranking Member Doggett: Public Children Services 
     Association of Ohio supports The Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011.
       As a state that has shown improved outcomes related to our 
     budget neutral Title IV-E Protect Ohio Waiver (Ohio leads the 
     nation with a 43% Safe Reduction in the number of children in 
     foster care between 2002-2010; AFCARS data), we strongly 
     support Congress' recognition that children and families in 
     other States can also benefit from Title IV-E Waivers 
     allowing flexible funding. We encourage you to consider 
     broader child welfare funding reform in the near future.
       Ohio's child welfare system is also extremely supportive of 
     reauthorization of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare 
     Services and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs 
     under the present funding. Ensuring funds to strengthen 
     families--keeping them intact, reunifying or finding and 
     supporting alternate permanent families--is essential for our 
     children's well being. We know that children grow best in 
     stable, permanent families.
       The Court Improvement Program in Ohio has aided in 
     reforming our system. Courts play a critical role in decision 
     making and oversight related to child safety and permanency, 
     and the CIP in Ohio has focused on timeliness, improving 
     procedures, focused well being oversight and adapting court 
     philosophy and procedure as more children are raised by 
     kinship families.
       Ohio is struggling with too many children coming into 
     foster care due to pervasive addictions to prescription pain 
     killers, heroin, and other substances--we support the 
     substance abuse grants part of this bill, and appreciate the 
     broader application for various substances, to allow time-
     limited treatment services so children can safely reunify 
     with recovered parents.
       Ohio is ready to embrace other bill provisions such as 
     addressing issues for foster children and youth including 
     prevention of identity theft and improving transitional youth 
     planning, improving educational outcomes, strengthening 
     sibling connections, and addressing the developmental needs 
     of infants and toddlers in foster care. Our Child Fatality 
     Review system already strives to review all available data 
     and apply lessons and recommend improved policy to prevent 
     future child deaths, and Ohio is dedicated to re-investing 
     saved funds as more children become eligible for Title IV-E 
     Adoption Assistance funds.
       We appreciate your efforts to move The Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 forward in a 
     bipartisan/bicameral way by the end of September, 2011. As 
     elected and representative Trustees of Public Children 
     Services Association of Ohio, we urge Congress to promptly 
     pass this important legislation.
       Please contact PCSAO's Executive Director, Crystal Ward 
     Allen, at 614-224-5802 or [email protected] with any 
     questions, concerns or requests.
           Sincerely,
                                               Crystal Ward Allen,
       Executive Director, PCSAO on behalf of Public Children 
     Services Association of Ohio, 2011 Board of Trustees:
       Chip Spinning, President/Director, Madison Co. Dept. of Job 
     & Family Services;
       Denise Stewart, Vice President/Director, Mahoning County 
     Children Services;
       Randall Muth, JD, Secretary/Director, Wayne County Children 
     Services;
       Moira Weir, Treasurer/Director, Hamilton Co. Dept. of Job & 
     Family Services;
       Scott Ferris/Director, Allen County Children Services;
       Andrea Reik/Director, Athens County Children Services;
       Dwayne Pielech/Director Belmont Co. Dept. of Job & Family 
     Services;
       Kate Offenberger/Director, Carroll Co. Dept. of Job & 
     Family Services;
       Catherine Hill/Director Hocking County Children Services;
       Teresa Alt/Director, Huron Co. Dept. of Job & Family 
     Services;
       June Cannon/Director, Miami County Children Services;
       Gary Crow/Director, Lorain County Children Services;
       Corey Walker/Director Paulding Co. Dept. of Job & Family 
     Services;
       Lisa Wiltshire/Director, Scioto County Children Services;
       John Saros, JD/Director, Summit County Children Services.
                                  ____

                                                       First Focus


                                        Campaign for Children,

                               Washington, DC, September 15, 2011.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, U.S.Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Hatch, Chairman Davis 
     and Ranking Member Doggett: I am writing on behalf of First 
     Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization committed to making 
     children and their families a priority in federal policy and 
     budget decisions, to thank you for your leadership and 
     commitment to moving forward The Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 in a bicameral and 
     bipartisan manner by the end of September 2011. We are 
     pleased that the bill reauthorizes the Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
     Child Welfare Services Program and the Promoting Safe and 
     Stable Families (PSSF) Program, and restores waiver authority 
     to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. We hope that 
     Congress will follow your lead and swiftly pass this critical 
     legislation.
       First Focus is dedicated to the long-term goal of 
     substantially reducing the number of children entering foster 
     care, while working to ensure that our existing system of 
     care protects children and adequately meets the needs of 
     families in the child welfare system. We are especially 
     concerned with increasing our federal investments in 
     prevention efforts and providing supports and services for 
     at-risk families to ensure they never enter the child welfare 
     system in the first place.
       As you know, initially created in 1993, PSSF was 
     reauthorized in 1997 under the Adoption and Safe Families 
     Act. The program was amended in 2001 and again in 2005 as 
     part of the Deficit Reduction Act. The 2006 Child and Family 
     Services Improvement Act extended funding for the program 
     until 2011. It is currently authorized through September 30, 
     2011. The program supports a number of critical State (and 
     eligible tribal) child welfare activities, including family 
     preservation services, family support services, time-limited 
     family reunification services, and adoption promotion and 
     support services.
       PSSF is a relatively small funding stream compared to the 
     open-ended entitlement for foster care under SSA Title IV-E, 
     but is still critical to the work of State social service 
     agencies given that it may be used to provide services to 
     children and families in need and to help keep families 
     together. In contrast to the bulk of federal child welfare 
     funding, which is targeted solely at foster care, PSSF seeks 
     to prevent child abuse and neglect, avoiding the removal of 
     children in the first place while supporting timely 
     reunification. These funds are often combined with other 
     State and local resources as well as private funds, and 
     support a range of services, including parenting classes that 
     promote competencies and positive relationship skills; home-
     visiting services for at-risk parents as well as other 
     family-based services; respite care for caregivers of 
     children with special needs; and a range of other innovative 
     programs and services for at-risk families. According to the 
     FY 2009 National Child Abuse

[[Page 13962]]

     and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), states reported that they 
     provided prevention services to more than three million 
     children. PSSF allowed states to pay for services to 30 
     percent of those children. These are critical services and we 
     believe that the reauthorization of PSSF will only strengthen 
     the program and its core goals, ensuring its success for 
     years to come.
       We also applaud your efforts to ensure that child welfare 
     waiver demonstration projects are reauthorized and remain a 
     critical vehicle for promoting flexibility while fostering 
     innovation in practice at the state level. We are especially 
     pleased that the bill authorizes ten new demonstration 
     projects annually for a duration of five years. While we 
     would urge you to consider extending waiver authority beyond 
     FY 2014, we are encouraged by your efforts to ensure that 
     demonstrations projects continue in the near term. Absent a 
     broader reform of the child welfare financing structure, 
     states are in need of greater flexibility in the use of 
     available federal child welfare funds. In addition to title 
     IV-B programs, child welfare waiver demonstration projects 
     are a critical vehicle for providing a broad array of support 
     services to children and families, and promote flexibility 
     and foster innovation in practice at the state level.
       Among other provisions, we are pleased that The Child and 
     Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act includes new 
     requirements for states to address the emotional trauma 
     experience by children in foster care, adopt protocols for 
     prescribing and monitoring psychotropic medications, and 
     describe their efforts to address the developmental needs of 
     young children in care and reduce their length of stay in 
     care. The bill also continues grants to address substance 
     abuse in families with children at-risk of entering into 
     foster care, continues funding for the Court Improvement 
     Program, and provides needed clarification with respect to a 
     provision in the Fostering Connections to Success and 
     Increasing Adoptions Act related to ensuring the educational 
     stability of foster children for each foster care placement.
       First Focus stands prepared to work with you to ensure 
     swift passage of The Child and Family Services Improvement 
     and Innovation Act. We thank you for your leadership on this 
     and other issues impacting children and families, and look 
     forward to working with you to ensure better care for our 
     nation's most vulnerable children.
           Sincerely,
     Bruce Lesley.
                                  ____



                                                         CWLA,

                               Washington, DC, September 15, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf 
     of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and our public 
     and private member agencies that work directly with abused, 
     neglected, and vulnerable children, youth, and their 
     families, this letter is in support of the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act (HR 2883) to 
     reauthorize Title IV-B of the Social Security Act and restore 
     the authority of the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
     Services (HHS) to authorize demonstration projects via a 
     waiver of Title IV-E. CWLA members are located in all fifty 
     states and provide a range of child welfare services from 
     prevention to placement and permanency services including 
     child protection, family support and preservation, adoptions, 
     foster care, kinship care, and treatment services provided in 
     residential settings. As a non-profit leadership and 
     membership-based child welfare organization, CWLA is 
     committed to engaging people everywhere in ensuring that all 
     children and youth have the support that they need to grow 
     into healthy contributing members of society.
       Part I, Child Welfare Services (CWS) provides critical 
     flexible funding for a broad range of services designed to 
     support, preserve, and/or reunite children and their 
     families. While we know that prevention services are 
     underfunded, in light of current austerity we acknowledge 
     that the maintenance of this program's $325 million 
     authorization is positive. However, with the expectation of 
     further cuts to discretionary funding levels over the next 
     decade, it is critical to reiterate within this context that 
     vulnerable children and families should be held harmless in 
     all budget balancing strategies.
       State Child Welfare Services Plans serve as a lynchpin for 
     the continuum of strategies designed to prevent and 
     ameliorate maltreatment. Through requirements encompassing 
     case reviews, permanency planning, program development, 
     agency administration, and systems collaboration activities, 
     fundamental protections and core service provision is ensured 
     for the vulnerable populations served with these funds. CWLA 
     commends the subcommittee for strengthening these plans. H.R. 
     2883 requires the plans to respond to identified emotional 
     trauma needs associated with maltreatment and removal, 
     strengthens oversight of prescription medication monitoring 
     protocols, encourages activities to reduce time in foster 
     care and address developmental needs especially for children 
     younger than five, and mandates the reporting of child 
     maltreatment deaths.
       Part II, Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) is an 
     important funding stream for the operation of specific 
     service categories. Although the services overlap, the four 
     specified categories in PSSF create important distinctions in 
     types of families in need. The additional targeted activities 
     bring attention and resources to pressing needs including 
     caseworker visits, substance abuse, court improvement, and 
     mentoring for children of prisoners. CWLA supports the way 
     that HR 2883 maintains this structure. Again, while we see a 
     need for additional resources, we recognize the nation's 
     strained financial condition. Therefore, we appreciate the 
     continuation of $200 million in discretionary funds and the 
     room appropriators have to fully fund the program. In 
     recognition of the difficulty of increasing funding, we think 
     it is important that HR 2883 amends the reporting 
     requirements to Congress to include actual spending in 
     addition to planned spending by service category. We believe 
     that increased tracking of these funds will further reveal 
     that they are supporting necessary and effective programs for 
     vulnerable children and families.
       Courts are an integral component of the child welfare 
     system, providing pivotal decisions of maltreatment findings 
     and approval of permanency changes. PSSF is one of the few 
     places in child welfare law where funding is provided for the 
     courts. We appreciate your receptiveness to our suggestions 
     for the continuation of the $30 million annual set-aside for 
     the Court Improvement Program and the dedication of $1 
     million specifically for tribal courts and are pleased to see 
     them both included in HR 2883. In addition, we support the 
     way the bill bolsters court improvement plans by clarifying 
     that they should include requirements related to concurrent 
     planning and increasing and improving the engagement of the 
     entire family in court processes. CWLA also applauds the 
     enhancement of the substance abuse and mentoring grants under 
     HR 2883. Because all children affected by parental substance 
     abuse, regardless of the particular substance used, deserve 
     assistance, CWLA strongly agrees with the removal of the 
     provision giving greater weight to applicants addressing 
     methamphetamine abuse specifically.
       CWLA welcomes the bill's data standardization and improved 
     data matching section. We understand that the administration 
     has undertaken efforts in this direction and appreciate the 
     recognition in both branches of government of the critical 
     importance of sharing information across systems. CWLA is 
     also very pleased to see the changes HR 2883 makes related to 
     foster care and adoption, including the clarification of the 
     educational stability requirement for children in care, the 
     efforts to address any credit issues for foster children at 
     least 16 years of age, and the requirement for states to 
     document savings from the de-link of adoption assistance 
     payments. Furthermore, we support the related requirement to 
     document spending on post-adoption services. This is a strong 
     recognition of the importance of supporting lasting 
     permanency.
       Title II of the bill restores the ability of HHS to 
     authorize demonstration projects through Title IV-E waivers 
     designed to increase permanency, improve outcomes, and 
     prevent abuse and neglect. CWLA believes that waivers can be 
     helpful in testing and evaluating innovative approaches 
     within the child welfare system that have promising 
     potential. However, CWLA does not believe that the 
     restoration of waiver authority constitutes a comprehensive 
     solution to the problems facing the child welfare system. 
     More ambitious approaches to reforming the federal financing 
     structure should be undertaken. Accordingly, CWLA supports 
     the bill's three-year restoration of waiver authority while 
     consensus on more comprehensive approaches is being 
     developed. CWLA specifically supports the eligibility 
     requirements included in HR 2883. The policy conditions have 
     the power to encourage states to implement practices that 
     will improve their child welfare systems and the lives of 
     those within them.
       CWLA appreciates your leadership in crafting this important 
     legislation. HR 2883 makes positive improvements to IV-B and 
     IV-E of the Social Security Act and we support its passage. 
     If you have any follow up questions, feel free to contact 
     Sean Hughes, Director of Congressional Affairs at 202-590-
     8772 or Suzanne Ayer, Policy Associate at 202-688-4178.
           Sincerely,
                                            Christine James-Brown,
     President/CEO.
                                  ____

                                               September 19, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways 
         and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on 
         Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: We write in 
     support for the Child and Family Services Improvement and

[[Page 13963]]

     Innovation Act (H.R. 2883) and specifically to express our 
     appreciation for the provisions that would promote the 
     positive development of very young children in the child 
     welfare system. Our organizations have worked together to 
     identify ways that all levels of government could better 
     address the developmental needs of infants and toddlers who 
     have been abused or neglected. This work resulted in the 
     publication last spring of A Call to Action on Behalf of 
     Maltreated Infants and Toddlers, which advocates for child 
     welfare policies and practices that view the care of young 
     children through a developmental lens. We are so pleased that 
     the legislation you have introduced would take important 
     steps toward infusing child welfare policy with that 
     developmental approach.
       We particularly appreciate the provision requiring state 
     child welfare plans to include a description of activities to 
     address the developmental needs of young children. Early 
     brain development occurs at life-altering speeds, making 
     infants and toddlers particularly vulnerable to the effects 
     of abuse and neglect. Maltreatment can literally alter the 
     chemistry of the brain, weakening its architecture and 
     placing young children at significant risk for later 
     cognitive, social, and emotional deficits. If child welfare 
     practices are not oriented toward supporting this sensitive 
     stage of development, as well as families' ability to nurture 
     their children, they can compound the effects of 
     maltreatment. Ensuring that child welfare practices are 
     informed by what we know from the science of brain 
     development can promote early intervention that will improve 
     the outlook for these babies and avoid the costs to both 
     child and society resulting from developmental impairments.
       The significance of the legislation you have authored 
     becomes clear when we consider that infants and toddlers 
     represent a quarter of children who are abused and neglected 
     and almost a third of children entering foster care. We 
     believe it will encourage states to reexamine how they are 
     addressing child welfare cases involving young children and 
     consider steps to systematically promote positive development 
     for vulnerable babies.
       We appreciate your leadership in highlighting the needs of 
     young children within federal child welfare law. We stand 
     ready to help the Congress, the Administration, and the 
     states in building a child welfare system that helps all 
     young children realize their potential.
           Sincerely,
     American Humane Association,
     Center for the Study of Social Policy,
     Child Welfare League of America,
     Children's Defense Fund,
     Zero To Three.
                                  ____



                                                 Zero to Three

                               Washington, DC, September 19, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways 
         and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on 
         Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf 
     of Zero to Three, I write to offer our support for the Child 
     and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (H.R. 
     2883) approved by the Ways and Means Committee last week. 
     Zero to Three is a national nonprofit organization dedicated 
     to promoting the healthy development of infants and toddlers. 
     We believe this legislation will help ensure the well-being 
     of our most vulnerable children: infants and toddlers in the 
     child welfare system. We particularly appreciate the 
     provision requiring state child welfare plans to include a 
     description of activities to address the developmental needs 
     of young children. This provision is a tremendous step 
     forward for children whose development is threatened by 
     maltreatment and, at times, foster care practices that are 
     not informed by the science of early brain development. Other 
     provisions adding services to enhance child development and 
     facilitate family visitation will also promote child well-
     being and healing parent-child relationships.
       These steps are particularly important, because infants and 
     toddlers are the most vulnerable to maltreatment and comprise 
     31% of children entering foster care. The first three years 
     of life are a time of rapid brain development, when the 
     foundation for all learning that follows is created. 
     Relationships are the context within which early development 
     unfolds, so it is not surprising that babies are particularly 
     sensitive to the effects of maltreatment. Maltreatment can 
     literally alter the chemistry of the brain, weakening its 
     architecture and placing young children at risk for later 
     cognitive, social, and emotional deficits. Maltreated infants 
     and toddlers are four to five times more likely than other 
     young children to have developmental impairments. The removal 
     of babies from their parents' care, coupled with foster care 
     practices that often are not guided by their developmental 
     needs, can compound the effects of maltreatment. The good 
     news is that intervening early with practices that support 
     healthy development can improve the outlook for these babies 
     and avoid the costs to society that accompany developmental 
     impairments.
       Last spring, Zero to Three joined with American Humane 
     Association, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Child 
     Welfare League of America, and Children's Defense Fund to 
     issue A Call to Action on Behalf of Maltreated Infants and 
     Toddlers. This publication advocates for child welfare 
     policies and practices at all levels of government that view 
     the care of young children through a developmental lens. This 
     legislation is the first step in answering that call. We 
     believe it will spur states to bring the science of early 
     brain development into their child welfare systems. We 
     applaud your leadership in infusing this perspective into 
     federal child welfare law and promoting positive development 
     for vulnerable babies.
       Thank you for all you do for young children who face great 
     adversity in their lives.
           Sincerely,
                                                Matthew E. Melmed,
                                               Executive Director.

                              {time}  1330

  I also want to thank the ranking member of the Human Resources 
Subcommittee, Mr. Doggett of Texas, for working with me on this 
legislation and for his efforts to improve how we serve children and 
families across the country.
  Finally, I want to note that this legislation does not add to the 
deficit since it simply extends current funding levels of the programs 
that are extended.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, the chairman, Mr. Davis, is correct. We have worked on 
this together. We have participated in hearings and have learned 
together and cooperated on this very important subject to which we may 
bring differing perspectives but a common goal of wanting to respond to 
the needs of America's most vulnerable children.
  I believe that this bipartisan legislation which I do fully support, 
is important; however, it is also important to understand what we 
support and where we have differences and to understand what this 
legislation accomplishes and what it fails to accomplish. This bill is 
certainly preferable to allowing two very important laws to expire next 
week.
  Each year, over 700,000 children here in America become victims of 
abuse and neglect, perpetrated by the very people who are supposed to 
love and care for them. I think most Americans, as do my wife, Libby, 
and I, when we're back home in Texas and surrounded by Clara, Zayla, 
and Ella, our three granddaughters, believe it's just almost 
incomprehensible that parents or grandparents could cause harm to a 
member of their own families. Yet that is the reality that too many of 
our children face. One expert came to our committee during the hearing 
and suggested that, once every 6 hours of every day, a child dies in 
America as a result of abuse.
  I agree that both the Child Welfare Services and the Promoting Safe 
and Stable Families laws should be renewed for another 5 years. I 
disagree that these programs should be continued at their current 
baseline funding levels since, with need growing and funding limited, 
too many of our most vulnerable children cannot access the services 
that they so desperately need. These are the children whose neglect not 
only produces problems for them, but will produce more problems for all 
of American society in the future. They are the children we should be 
helping today so that we are not incarcerating them after they have 
done harm to someone tomorrow.
  Less than half of the children in foster care in America today 
receive federal assistance to help with the room and board. Today, 40 
percent of children who are found to be victims of abuse and neglect 
don't receive any follow-up or intervention at all. That is a very big 
gap that will likely only grow over the course of the next 5 years with 
the legislation that we are renewing.
  In my home State of Texas, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Act 
accounts for a very significant source of funding to help our youngest 
Texans. According to one of our witnesses

[[Page 13964]]

in committee, Dr. Jane Burstain of the Center for Public Policy 
Priorities in Austin, funding from this program accounted for $2 of 
every $3 supporting child abuse and neglect prevention programs last 
year. In San Antonio, for example, these programs provide important 
resources to help vulnerable families through the Bexar County Child 
Welfare Board.
  This bill also grants States support for parental substance abuse 
programs. My friend Darlene Byrne, a district judge in Austin, Texas, 
who helped establish the Family Treatment Drug Court that was partially 
funded by dollars from this act that we're renewing, writes that she 
has seen new babies who are not drug positive, moms and couples reunify 
with their families, and workers receive their GEDs or high school 
diplomas and find employment. Those are the people that these programs 
help.
  In short, she says that this program has contributed in transforming 
lives and in helping to stop the cycle of drug abuse, poverty, and 
violence in Texas. It is important both to those who benefit directly 
and to all of us who have a stake in having folks participate to the 
full extent of their God-given potential, not posing dangers to the 
rest of our society.
  Today's legislation also includes, as Mr. Davis indicated, some 
modest policy changes that strengthen the States' abilities to respond 
to at-risk children. Mr. Speaker, the bill, I believe, leaves too many 
problems unresolved. I think, though, in this current climate that the 
renewal of the legislation as it's proposed is the best that we can do 
for our at-risk children. This bill reauthorizes help to at least some 
children who become victims of maltreatment. It provides family support 
and activities to some vulnerable families, and it promotes adoption 
services for those children who cannot safely return to their 
biological parents.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. I yield 4 minutes to the former chair of this 
Subcommittee on Human Resources, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
McDermott).
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill to 
renew the Nation's child welfare programs. I'm glad to see this 
happening as it has in the past by unanimous consent, and it's 
important not just to keep these programs funded and renewed. With more 
than one in five children in the country living in poverty and with so 
many odds stacked against foster kids, we need to do more. We need to 
make progress. That's why I'm so supportive of this bill, because it is 
not just an extension of the program; it has some important and 
targeted innovations.
  Some States, especially my home State of Washington, have some truly 
new ideas about how they can do more to prevent children being put into 
foster care even in tough economic times. One of the real innovations 
of this bill is to give States waivers for some governmental funding 
restrictions so that they can test these innovative interventions in 
their child welfare programs. If the States can maintain their current 
quality and if the innovations they want to try meet solid criteria, 
the Federal Government should be a partner in making real progress. 
That's what these new waivers do.
  Washington State is one of the leaders in innovating child welfare 
policy, and it has some things it has been eager to try out. Right now, 
the law doesn't allow for this kind of experimentation, but this bill 
gives States a way to begin. Washington State is not alone. There is 
room for 10 States to have these kinds of programs. There are some 
States already ready to make these moves.
  Now, the Department of Health and Human Services allowed this kind of 
thing in the past, but it was allowed to lapse. This is really an 
extension of something we've had before. HHS was allowed to give out a 
number of waivers in the past, and some progress was made in a number 
of States. This bill restores that limited waiver authority and sets 
out criteria to keep the integrity and level of effort they need to 
have. We need to allow these States to do it.
  In addition to extending the program and making more room for 
innovation, the bill does something else that's really important. In 
2008, we passed the Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions law. 
This Fostering Connections law did a lot of good in helping foster kids 
have a better chance of truly making it in this country. Among other 
things, it addressed the health concerns of foster children who moved 
from home to home and from health care setting to health care setting, 
and it required States to develop health coordination plans for these 
kids so that they had some continuity of care. These plans had to 
include oversight of prescription medications, including psychotropic 
drugs.
  As a psychiatrist who has worked with children in child welfare and 
the juvenile justice system, I am very concerned about the use of 
psychotropic drugs. It has bothered me for a long time. In the 
fostering care population, it is a particularly vulnerable group 
because of this question of continuity of care. You want somebody to be 
monitoring what's happening as they move from home to home to home. We 
need to do more. We need to get a clearer picture of what is happening 
with these kinds of medications in the foster kids, and we need to make 
sure they are being used properly and are not overly prescribed.

                              {time}  1340

  One of the parts about this whole law that's crazy is that when a kid 
gets to 18 they could be on a medication. When they hit 18, they're 
done. Their Medicaid ends. They have no continuity of the drugs. They 
go off cold turkey. So there's some real questions that we need to 
answer here.
  This bill takes the 2008 requirements another step forward and it 
requires States to adopt protocols for using and monitoring 
psychotropic medications among foster children.
  Mr. Speaker, I speak strongly in favor of the bill and urge my 
colleagues to say ``yea.''
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from California (Ms. 
Bass), one of the leaders on this subject of foster children, who came 
and testified to our committee based on her long experience working in 
the State of California in the assembly on this subject.
  Ms. BASS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 2883, the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation 
Act. As cochair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Care, 
I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in 
support of this important legislation.
  Youth in the child welfare system fight for what so many of us take 
for granted--a family. In California, my home State, the Nation's 
largest foster care system in any given year, as many as 100,000 
children can be placed in temporary out-of-home care. Foster parents 
and relatives are the frontline caregivers for children when their 
parents are unable to care for them.
  A pool of dedicated, loving foster parents is critical for our 
Nation's foster youth as they wait to be reunited with their parents or 
achieve permanency with a relative caregiver or adoptive family. 
However, there is a significant shortage of foster parents.
  In May, I introduced legislation calling for a study to find out how 
to best recruit and retain foster parents. This was included in the 
original House bill reauthorizing title IV-B child welfare programs 
introduced in August. I'm pleased that the modified bill before us 
today includes a provision that encourages States to develop and 
implement a plan to improve the recruitment and retention of high-
quality foster family homes.
  H.R. 2883 builds on some of the best practices that were shared with 
me as I've traveled California hearing from youth, child welfare 
workers, and parents. The bill also appropriately addresses challenges 
facing the child welfare system by requiring States to address 
emotional trauma in foster children and to adopt protocols for using 
and monitoring psychotropic medications.

[[Page 13965]]

  I am very pleased with the comments of my colleague, Mr. McDermott, 
who talked about the use of psychotropics, and I would just add that, 
in too many cases, the children are prescribed multiple medications. 
And in talking with a number of youth up and down the State of 
California, one of the things that many youths said to me was, Can you 
please help me get off the medication.
  I would like to thank Ways and Means Chairman Camp, Ranking Member 
Levin, Human Resources Subcommittee Chair Geoff Davis, and Ranking 
Member Doggett for their unwavering commitment to our most vulnerable 
youth.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), who has been very active in a Foster Youth 
Financial Security Act.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Child and Family 
Services Improvement and Innovation Act.
  This bill includes a provision from the Foster Youth Financial 
Security Act that I introduced with my colleague from California (Mr. 
Stark) to address disturbingly high rates of identity theft among 
foster youth. I, along with many others, was absolutely outraged to 
find that foster children are disproportionately victims of identity 
theft since their personal information passes through so many hands.
  Mr. Speaker, as I saw firsthand when my parents welcomed foster youth 
into our home over many years, they already faced tremendous obstacles 
without the increased threat of having their identity taken and their 
credit ruined, which prevents them from finding a place to live, 
accessing credit on their own, or obtaining other basic needs.
  This bill would ensure that each foster youth over 16 years of age 
receives free credit checks before leaving the system and assistance 
clearing any inaccuracies that may have come to light. Reports have 
shown that if done effectively, the cost is minimal.
  I want to thank, Mr. Speaker, the committee for their interest in 
this issue and the many advocates who have championed this cause. This 
is only the first step in providing foster youth the tools that they 
need and deserve to succeed, and I look forward to our continued work 
together on this issue.
  As I pointed out so many times, the kids in foster care already face 
significant challenges of their own of a personal nature. It is a shame 
that their identity is stolen and they're further victimized. This bill 
would identify problems early on and clear up the inaccuracies so they 
can start their adult life with a fresh start with their credit intact.
  I thank both gentlemen, the chair, and the ranking member for their 
outstanding support of this provision.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, some in this House have suggested earlier in the year 
that the programs embodied in this legislation, and everything else 
that opens opportunities through government support from Pell Grants to 
Title I funding for education to the school lunch program to Head 
Start, that all of these are ``welfare'' and should be cut. 
Fortunately, that approach is not being taken here today. We are 
reauthorizing, in a bipartisan way, these two very important programs 
that would expire next week.
  Mr. Speaker, however, it should be noted that, much like somebody 
might be flatlined, we are flat funding the renewal of these programs, 
meaning that in 5 years we are authorizing the same amount of money for 
these programs, if it can be appropriated, that existed last year. That 
means that there are many needs in our country that will not be fully 
addressed in this legislation. It means that last year, if less than 
half of those in foster care received support for food and board, they 
will be in the same situation over the course of this legislation. It 
means that the 40 percent of children who are subject to abuse and 
neglect are unlikely to be able to access services as they were last 
year.
  But renewing this legislation remains, despite those deficiencies, an 
important accomplishment in the current political environment. And, as 
Mr. Davis and a number of other speakers have noted, we have made some 
modest improvements.
  Another of those not touched on yet is our work in this legislation 
to ensure that children in foster care can stay in the schools that 
they started in, even though they may be moved between families. That's 
an important part of adding a little certainty to the lives of children 
who have been abused or neglected and find themselves with a great deal 
of uncertainty.
  It is for the improvements in this act and the recognition of what 
harm would be done if this act were not adopted here in a bipartisan 
way that so many child advocacy groups have joined in supporting it--
the Child Welfare League of America, First Focus, Zero to Three--as 
well as groups of those organizations that are involved in 
administering some of these funds: the National Conference of State 
Legislatures, the American Public Human Services Association, and the 
Conference of State Court Administrators.

                              {time}  1350

  I believe this legislation is important. It's important to get it 
adopted promptly. I hope the Senate will respond to our bipartisan 
approval today, as Mr. Davis has suggested they have already begun to 
do in the committee process, and move forward to see it fully adopted 
by next week. I urge all of my colleagues to join in supporting this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my friend, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), for working with me to bring this 
measure to the floor today and thank him and thank both the majority 
and minority staffs for their hard work on this effort. H.R. 2883 is a 
bipartisan, bicameral, no-cost effort to extend and make modest 
adjustments to programs designed to help ensure the safety and well-
being of children at risk of abuse and neglect. We need to do all we 
can to ensure more children remain safely in their homes, and this bill 
will help to do so.
                                               National Conference


                                        of State Legislatures,

                                               September 13, 2011.
     Hon. Dave Camp,
     Chairman, House Ways & Means, Cannon House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sandy Levin,
     Ranking Member, House Ways & Means, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Camp and Representative Levin: On behalf of 
     the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), we urge 
     you to support H.R. 2883, a bill to renew the authority of 
     the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services 
     to approve demonstration projects designed to test innovative 
     strategies in state child welfare programs and reauthorizing 
     the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program. 
     Congressmen Geoff Davis and Lloyd Doggett have fashioned 
     bipartisan legislation that helps create opportunities to 
     enhance the state-federal partnership to assist our nation's 
     most vulnerable children.
       NCSL supports reinstating and expanding federal waiver 
     authority so that states can test the results of increased 
     funding flexibility on the development of service 
     alternatives and on the overall delivery of child welfare 
     services. This allows states to target programs to address 
     the needs of their youngest citizens. By renewing and 
     extending Title IV-E waiver authority through 2014, H.R. 2883 
     will give states an enhanced ability to provide early 
     intervention and crisis intervention services that will 
     safely reduce out-of-home placements and improve child 
     outcomes.
       NCSL supports the reauthorization of the PSSF program. The 
     PSSF program enhances state efforts to develop additional 
     family preservation, family reunification, and family support 
     programs. We appreciate the flexibility provided to states in 
     H.R. 2883 and that the legislation does not preempt current 
     state laws.
       H.R. 2883 will allow states to improve the quality of their 
     child welfare interventions and reinvest savings in their 
     programs. It will also provide both state and federal 
     legislators tools to develop innovative an effective 
     approaches to transform the lives of

[[Page 13966]]

     children who are at risk of abuse and neglect. We applaud 
     Congressmen Davis and Doggett for crafting this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                 William T. Pound,
     Executive Director, NCSL.
                                  ____

                                                   National Indian


                                    Child Welfare Association,

                                 Portland, OR, September 13, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis, Chair,
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member,
     House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources.
     Hon. Max Baucus, Chair,
     Hon. Orrin Hatch, Ranking Member,
     Senate Finance Committee.
       Dear Representatives Davis and Doggett and Senators Baucus 
     and Hatch: The National Indian Child Welfare Association 
     (NICWA) writes this letter in support of the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act (HR 2883/S 1542) 
     which would reauthorize programs under Title IV-B of the 
     Social Security Act--Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare 
     Services; Promoting Safe and Stable Families; Regional 
     Partnerships on substance abuse; and the Court Improvement 
     Program.
       Committee staff on both sides of the aisle has been most 
     open to meeting with us, and we thank them for their hard 
     work and interest in more heavily involving Indian and Alaska 
     Native communities in these programs. We especially thank 
     Sonja Nesbit, Ryan Martin, Diedra Henry-Spires, and Becky 
     Shipp.
       NICWA has worked on several reauthorizations of Title IV-B, 
     notably in 2006 when a number of improvements were enacted 
     regarding tribal participation. The 2006 Act increased tribal 
     allocations and provided common sense flexibility for tribal 
     administration of the programs.
       In fiscal year 2011, 170 tribes/tribal organizations 
     received $6.2 million from the Child Welfare Services Program 
     and 126 tribes/tribal consortia received $11 million from the 
     Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. In addition, 
     tribes are the lead grantee in six of the 53 Regional 
     Partnerships substance abuse grants.
       The Title IV-B program that has bypassed tribes is the 
     Court Improvement Program and we are most grateful for the 
     breakthrough on this matter in the Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act. The bill would, for the first 
     time, make tribes eligible to apply for competitive grants 
     for this program and would allocate $1 million annually for 
     this purpose. There is a great need in Indian Country for 
     assistance for tribal courts work in the area of child 
     welfare. We also appreciate the provision which would allow 
     tribes operating Title IV-E (Foster Care and Adoption 
     Assistance) programs to apply for waivers for child welfare 
     demonstration projects.
       Again, thank you. We look forward to continuing to work 
     with you on child welfare matters.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Terry L. Cross,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                               Youth Villages,

                                               September 13, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis, Chairman,
     Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member,
     Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, Longworth 
         House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf 
     of Youth Villages, I am writing in support of your bill, H.R. 
     2883, and to thank you for your leadership on this issue. 
     This legislation provides for the extension of the important 
     Promoting Safe and Stable Families program as well as 
     critical authority for the Department of Health and Human 
     Services to extend the Title IV-E waiver program, which has 
     demonstrated substantial impact since creation in 1994. These 
     waivers provide states with greater flexibility in the use of 
     Federal funds for alternative services and supports that 
     promote safety, permanency and well-being for children in the 
     child protection and foster care system.
       Youth Villages is a leader in innovative and effective 
     services for troubled youth and their families. Since 2008, 
     Youth Villages has had the opportunity to work 
     collaboratively with several local, privatized child welfare 
     organizations, known as Community Based Care agencies in 
     implementing Florida's Title IV-E waiver. Youth Villages has 
     three offices in Florida and is working with local entities 
     to implement our intensive in-home Intercept services, 
     identify and serve underserved or `stuck' populations, and 
     provide them with outcome data to support the impact of their 
     waiver effort.
       As a result of the flexibility afforded by the Title IV-E 
     waiver, intensive reunification and targeted prevention 
     services are given greater focus in the state's child welfare 
     service approach. Without the award of the waiver, it would 
     have been difficult for Youth Villages to expand its 
     Intercept program into the state to serve the child welfare 
     population. In the three years that Youth Villages has been 
     operating in Florida, we have served over 300 children across 
     the Central and Southern regions of the state at a 
     significantly lower cost than traditional child welfare 
     placement services. More importantly, they have achieved such 
     outcomes as: over 70% of children still at home, over 80% 
     having graduated or actively engaged in school, and over 80% 
     having had no trouble with the law six months after discharge 
     from services.
       Youth Villages pledges its full support of H.R. 2883, as 
     this legislation has the ability to transform the child 
     welfare system from one that incentivizes out-of-home 
     placement to a system that promotes in-home treatment and 
     family unification.
           Regards,
                                                   Patrick Lawler,
     CEO, Youth Villages.
                                  ____



                                           Voice for Adoption,

                               Washington, DC, September 14, 2011.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Longworth House Office Building, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Cannon House Office Building, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairmen Baucus and Davis and Ranking Members Hatch 
     and Doggett: On behalf of Voice for Adoption's members I am 
     writing to thank you for your leadership and your bipartisan 
     and bicameral effort to introduce the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act (S. 1542/H.R. 2883). 
     Voice for Adoption (VFA) is a membership advocacy 
     organization; we speak out for our nation's 107,000 waiting 
     children in foster care. Our members, who are spread across 
     the country, recruit families to adopt children and youth 
     with special needs. VFA members also provide vital support 
     services both before and after adoption finalization to help 
     adoptive families through the challenges they often face 
     raising children with painful pasts.
       Voice for Adoption supports this legislation, which acts to 
     reauthorize two major child welfare programs, the Stephanie 
     Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program and the Promoting 
     Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program. Under the PSSF 
     program the adoption promotion and support services category 
     provides funding to recruit and support families for children 
     who are waiting to be adopted.
       We commend the authors of this bill for not only acting in 
     a bipartisan/bicameral manner, but also for making 
     potentially impacting improvements in the reauthorization of 
     these programs. We applaud the strengthening of language that 
     requires states to document the use of dollars saved from the 
     federal adoption assistance de-link, created under the 
     Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act 
     of 2008 (P.L. 110-351). Voice for Adoption hopes that through 
     future guidance States are encouraged to spend a portion of 
     these adoption de-link funds on post-adoption support 
     services. VFA also supports other important improvements made 
     in the bill including: the requirement for better reporting 
     on post-adoption services spending and transparency to access 
     this data, the requirement of States to address the 
     developmental needs of young children and reducing their 
     amount of time spent in foster care, the requirement of 
     States to address emotional trauma and the clarification of 
     educational protections for children in foster care, the 
     requirement for state protocols and procedures relating to 
     the use of psychotropic medications, ID theft issues for 
     foster youth, inclusion of state waivers and measures that 
     include quality of care improvements for foster children.
       Voice for Adoption is proud to support this bipartisan/
     bicameral legislation, as it exists to reauthorize programs 
     that protect children and families and promote both 
     permanency and support for children in foster care. We are 
     also happy to inform and encourage our members to support 
     this bill.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Nicole Dobbins,
                                               Executive Director.

[[Page 13967]]

     
                                  ____
                                                    Association on


                                      American Indian Affairs,

                                Rockville, MD, September 14, 2011.
     Re H.R. 2883 and S. 1542.

     Hon. Max Baucus, Chair,
     Hon. Orrin Hatch, Ranking Member,
     Senate Finance Committee.
     Hon. Geoff Davis, Chair,
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett, Ranking Member,
     House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Human 
         Resources.
       Dear Senators Baucus and Hatch and Representatives Davis 
     and Doggett: Thank you for your introduction of H.R. 2883 and 
     S. 1542, the Child and Family Services Improvement and 
     Innovation Act. The Association on American Indian Affairs 
     (AAIA) strongly supports this legislation.
       AAIA is an 89 year old Indian advocacy organization located 
     in South Dakota and Maryland and governed by an all-Native 
     American Board of Directors. We have been involved with 
     Indian child welfare issues for decades, including working 
     closely with the House and Senate on tribal provisions in the 
     Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 and the 
     Fostering Connections to Success and Promoting Adoptions Act 
     of 2008.
       We are particularly supportive of the provisions in both 
     bills that would allocate $1 million for competitive Court 
     Improvement Program grants to Indian tribal courts and allow 
     tribes operating Title IV-E programs to apply for waivers for 
     child welfare demonstration projects. We also appreciate and 
     support the language that would make the definition of Indian 
     tribes consistent in both Parts 1 and 2 of Title 1V-B.
       Once again, thank you for your support of this legislation 
     and these tribal issues and to the House and Senate staff 
     (Sonja Nesbit, Ryan Wilson, Diedra Henry-Spires and Becky 
     Shipp) that have been so helpful in this process.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Jack F. Trope,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                  American Humane Association,

                                               September 14, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Chairman, Finance Committee, U.S. Senate.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Ranking Member, Finance Committee, U.S. Senate.
       Dear Chairman Davis, Congressman Doggett, Chairman Baucus 
     and Senator Hatch: American Humane Association extends its 
     support to the reforms made through the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act.
       Through the joint efforts of the House and Senate and the 
     leadership of both parties, we believe you have written a 
     strong bill to reauthorize the Child Welfare Services and 
     Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs (Title IV-B part 
     1 and part 2).
       In testifying last June in the United States House of 
     Representatives, the American Humane Association outlined a 
     number of important changes that could be made through this 
     reauthorization. We appreciate and support the inclusion of 
     many of those recommendations as well as several other 
     provisions in this legislation that we believe will assist 
     children and families touched by the child welfare system. 
     Some of the key provisions of this bill that we see as 
     particularly important include:
       The greater attention placed on the care and the 
     development of infants and toddlers who come into contact 
     with the child welfare system;
       The continuation of the substance abuse grants and that 
     these grants will have a broader substance abuse focus;
       The bill's continued funding for child welfare workforce 
     development, the stronger language on workforce support and 
     the accompanying requirements on monthly visits to children 
     in foster care;
       The clarification on the state tracking and reporting of 
     the adoption maintenance-of-effort provisions as enacted by 
     PL 110-351 (Fostering Connections Act);
       The clarification on access to education for children in 
     foster care;
       The continuation of court improvement funding; and
       The attention paid to the problem of identity theft for 
     children and youth in foster care.
       In addition there are several other improvements in this 
     legislation in regard to reports by the Department of Health 
     and Human Services and the extension of waiver authority 
     which we have also talked positively of in past statements to 
     both the House and Senate Committees.
       Once again we restate our appreciation of your efforts to 
     move this forward in a bipartisan fashion with all due speed. 
     Please feel free to reach out to the American Humane 
     Association for any additional assistance in moving forward 
     with this legislation and other matters before your 
     committees.
           Sincerely,

                                               John Sciamanna,

                          Director, Policy and Government Affairs,
     Child Welfare.
                                  ____

                                            North American Council


                                        on Adoptable Children,

                                 St. Paul, MN, September 16, 2011.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Longworth House Office Building, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Cannon House Office Building, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Representatives Davis and Doggett: On behalf of the 
     North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), I am 
     writing to express our support for the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act (H.R. 2883). We are 
     grateful for your leadership in introducing this important 
     legislation and strongly believe it will improve the lives of 
     vulnerable children and their families.
       NACAC is an adoption support and advocacy organization with 
     more than 1,000 members nationwide. We represent adoptive and 
     foster parents, adoptees, adoption professionals, parent 
     support groups, and adoption agencies and organizations. 
     Since 1974, we have supported the right of every child to 
     have a permanent, loving family and advocated for adoptive 
     families to receive necessary supportive services.
       NACAC strongly supports the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child 
     Welfare Services Program and the Promoting Safe and Stable 
     Families (PSSF) program. In particular, we are happy that the 
     PSSF program has required states to designate at least 20 
     percent of the funds to adoption support and promotion 
     services. These funds have been used across the country to 
     recruit families for foster children who cannot return home 
     and to support families raising these children with special 
     needs.
       We were pleased that H.R. 2883 will continue these valuable 
     efforts while also adding several enhancements. We strongly 
     support requiring states to document how they spend the funds 
     reinvested as a result of the maintenance of effort provision 
     of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing 
     Adoptions Act of 2008, which expanded federal eligibility for 
     Title IV-E adoption assistance. In addition, however, NACAC 
     would recommend that the legislation require states to spend 
     a portion of these reinvestment funds on post-adoption 
     services. Since special needs adoptions generate this 
     additional revenue for states, it is reasonable to request 
     that a specific portion of the funds be invested in post-
     adoption services. As you well know, the majority of children 
     adopted from foster care have significant special needs, and 
     post-adoption services ensure these children have the best 
     chance of being adopted and for living successfully in safe 
     and stable families.
       Again, we thank you for your commitment to children and 
     families through your introduction of the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Joe Kroll,
     Ececutive Director.
                                  ____

                                                   American Public


                                   Human Services Association,

                                               September 16, 2011.
     Hon. Max Baucus,
     Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Orrin Hatch,
     Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee, U.S. Senate, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Hatch, Chairman Davis 
     and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf of the American Public 
     Human Services Association (APHSA), I write to thank you for 
     your leadership in introducing the Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011. This legislation 
     addresses the importance of prevention programs and support 
     of community-based services for children and families at risk 
     or in crisis, including through extending grant authority to 
     the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for new 
     child welfare waivers through 2014. This legislation also 
     reinforces Congress's recognition of the need for state 
     flexibility and accountability to enable public agencies to 
     be good stewards of public funds and to manage performance, 
     self-correct, innovate and enhance their ability to achieve 
     positive outcomes.
       The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation 
     Act reauthorizes two essential prevention and family support 
     programs and outlines key improvements to child welfare 
     practices designed to improve outcomes for at-risk children, 
     youth and families. APHSA members appreciate the changes to 
     the current methodology for calculating monthly caseworker 
     visits. These provisions are closely linked with the 
     recommendations that APHSA and The National Association of 
     Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA) presented before 
     the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources 
     during the ``Hearing on Protecting At-Risk Youth.'' The 
     change in

[[Page 13968]]

     calculation will not only better reflect states' performance 
     on this indicator, but also highlight the diligent efforts 
     made by casework staff.
       APHSA and our member agencies fully support the efforts to 
     address children's emotional and behavioral health needs and 
     welcome stronger, more collaborative partnerships with other 
     agencies across the human service continuum to meet the 
     enhanced data and tracking provisions outlined in the bill.
       APHSA also fully supports the renewal and expansion of the 
     HHS Secretary's authority to grant waivers for states to 
     flexibly use IV-E funds to test innovative strategies in 
     child welfare programs. Earlier this year, APHSA provided 
     comments, concerns and recommendations to the previous House 
     and Senate proposed waiver bills (H.R 1194 and S. 1013) and 
     are pleased to see that the current bill includes provisions 
     consistent with our member states' practices, as well as new 
     provisions that conform to our member states' views.
       APHSA members are pleased to see the time period to operate 
     a waiver expanded to five years. We are also pleased to see 
     that states can apply for a waiver by implementing two 
     program improvement areas and that only one of them needs to 
     be a new program. APHSA also appreciates the clarification 
     that states currently operating waivers and successfully 
     achieving outcomes will be allowed to continue those 
     improvements as this bill expands the program to 10 new 
     demonstration projects. In these current budgetary times, it 
     is critical for new waiver states to innovate their practices 
     and service array, while current waiver states increase the 
     knowledge and evidentiary base for programs and practices 
     that work.
       APHSA also fully supports reauthorization of the Court 
     Improvement Program. The Court Improvement Program allows our 
     member agencies to work in close partnership with their state 
     and local judicial system to meet the safety, permanency and 
     well-being needs of children in a timely and complete manner. 
     This program also supports the essential cross-system 
     training of judges, attorneys and other legal representatives 
     in child welfare cases.
       Once again, we look forward to continuing the work of 
     improving services and outcomes for at risk children. We 
     continue to be available as a resource as regulations and 
     guidance is developed to meet the provisions of the Child and 
     Family Services Improvement and Innovations Act of 2011.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Tracy L. Wareing,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                   American Institute of CPAs,

                               Washington, DC, September 20, 2011.
     Re The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation 
         Act, H.R. 2883.

     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     Chairman, Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on 
         Ways and Means, House of Representatives Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources of the 
         Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf 
     of the 377,000 members of the American Institute of Certified 
     Public Accountants (AICPA), I am writing in support of your 
     legislation, H.R. 2883, the ``Child and Family Services 
     Improvement and Innovation Act.'' The bill calls for grantees 
     of Federal funds under the Child Welfare Services program and 
     the Safe and Stable program to report certain data to the 
     Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and for DHHS 
     to develop a rule designating standard data elements and data 
     reporting requirements for the information to be reported. 
     The legislation specifies that DHHS ``shall, to the extent 
     practicable, incorporate existing nonproprietary standards, 
     such as eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL).''
       The use of data tagging to enhance both the transparency 
     and the ability to analyze financial and other data has been 
     proved time and time again. XBRL provides a detailed yet 
     customizable approach to gathering data and will provide 
     significant transparency to the Federal government and the 
     American people regarding the use of taxpayer funds.
       XBRL has been used for a number of years by the Federal 
     government in areas such as Federal Deposit Insurance 
     Corporation call reports and public company financial 
     reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
     Importantly, such standardized business reporting is also 
     expanding in both the United States by state governmental 
     agencies and worldwide, where data standards are being 
     leveraged to significantly reduce the compliance reporting 
     burden and, at the same time, enhance the usability and 
     transparency of reported information. Including provisions to 
     require reporting of information under the Child and Family 
     Services Improvement and Innovation Act will make the 
     reporting process more efficient and enhance comparability of 
     such information for DHHS, the Congress, and other 
     stakeholders who need to monitor and analyze the use of these 
     funds.
       Thank you again for your leadership on this important 
     issue. We are also happy to discuss with you additional areas 
     where implementation of data standards can further enhance 
     reporting and make it more valuable to all types of 
     stakeholders of data. If you have any questions, or if we can 
     be of any further assistance, please contact Diana Huntress 
     Deem.
           Sincerely,
                                           Barry C. Melancon, CPA,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____

         Conference of Chief Justices, Conference of State Court 
           Administrators,
                                                   Washington, DC.
     Re Child and Family Services Act (HR 2883).

     Hon. Geoff Davis,
     House of Representatives, Longworth House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
     Hon. Lloyd Doggett,
     House of Representatives, Cannon House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Doggett: On behalf 
     of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of 
     State Court Administrators, we write to support the Child and 
     Family Services Act that includes reauthorization of the 
     three Court Improvement Program (CIP) grant programs through 
     FY 2016 at the current $30 million level. The three Court 
     Improvement Program (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 and 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 appreciate the new purpose which would allow CIP funds 
     to be used ``to increase and improve engagement of the entire 
     family in court processes relating to child welfare, family 
     preservation, family reunification, and adoption''. This new 
     purpose provides state courts with greater flexibility in the 
     use of the funds. We also support the provision that would 
     allow state courts to submit a single application for the 
     three CIP grants. This will allow state courts to eliminate 
     duplicative paperwork and reporting, which will free up time 
     for reform efforts. While the legislation reduces the amount 
     of funds available to state courts, we do understand the need 
     to also provide financial assistance to tribal courts.
       Thank you again for your efforts on behalf of state courts. 
     If we can provide you with additional information, please do 
     not hesitate to contact us or Kay Farley, who is with the 
     Government Relations Office of the National Center for State 
     Courts.
           Sincerely,
     Chief Judge Eric T. Washington,
       President, Conference of Chief Justices.
     Rosalyn W. Frierson,
       President, Conference of State Court Administrators.

  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Child and Family 
Services Improvement and Innovation Act (H.R. 2883). This legislation 
shows that we can work together across the aisle to improve our child 
welfare system. Yet this bill is just one step in our ongoing efforts 
to fix the foster care system. In this time of unacceptable poverty and 
inequality, we must continue to support families in order to prevent 
kids from being neglected or abused. As we debate how to shrink our 
debt, we must also ensure that preserving and improving the safety net 
that protects our children is a higher priority than protecting special 
interest tax breaks.
  Despite the fact that I am not on the Human Resources Subcommittee 
for the first time in many years, I am pleased that my colleagues still 
listen to some of my ideas. Last year, Congressman Langevin and I 
introduced a bill to reduce the high number of foster youth who are 
victims of identity theft and are unable to secure student loans or 
even get a credit card. Today's legislation includes a provision from 
our bill that will provide youth who are about to age out of foster 
care with a copy of their credit report as well as resources to help 
clear up any credit issues. This provision is what I hope is the first 
movement toward ensuring that foster youth leave the system with a 
clean financial slate and a chance to succeed.
  There are many important provisions in today's bill: maintaining a 
set-aside to support caseworker visits with foster children; decreasing 
the overuse of psychotropic drugs on foster youth, and improving 
education stability for children in care.
  Children in foster care are our collective responsibility. The 
reforms made in this bill will

[[Page 13969]]

make children safer. I thank the Chairman, the ranking Member, and all 
the staff involved in crafting this legislation and I urge my 
colleagues to support it today.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 2883, ``The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation 
Act,'' which reauthorize Title IV-B of the Social Security Act, 
including the Promoting Safe and Stable Families and Child Welfare 
Services programs, while also reinstating the authority of the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services to authorize States to 
implement innovative demonstration programs through Title IV-E waivers.
  As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I have been a 
stalwart supporter of protecting the health and welfare of children and 
families. Today there are more than 463,000 children and youth that are 
in out-of-home care. Every day, more than a half million U.S. children 
are in the foster care system with over 120,000 waiting to be adopted. 
With no permanent legal guardians, they are our Nation's children, and 
we have a responsibility to ensure a bright future for those who are 
handed a rough start in life. Foster children like all children deserve 
a safe environment to grow and nourish in. This piece of legislation is 
a step in the right direction in addressing the needs of our Nation's 
children when they need our help the most. There are many silent heroes 
who have opened their homes and taken on the role of foster parents, 
social workers, mentors, caregivers and volunteers to the children in 
this Nation. These young kids need to know someone is looking out for 
them and supporting legislation like the Child and Family Services 
Improvement and Innovation Act provides these silent heroes with 
additional resources and requirements to meet the needs of children in 
care.
  There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the U.S. 
representing all walks of life. Each and every one of the 12 million 
alumni has a story of their struggles, challenges and success. The 
foster care system is supposed to ensure that children are cared for by 
members of our communities on a full-time or temporary basis when their 
parents are unable to provide adequate care. Often the natural parents 
cannot provide for a child's care for a variety of reasons such as due 
to incarceration, physical or mental illness, behavioral difficulties, 
or problems within the family environment. These issues may include 
child abuse, alcoholism, extreme poverty, or crime. These children 
often become wards of the State and we have the responsibility to 
protect their interests and to ensure they are provided with the care 
they need.
  If even a single child continues to be abused or neglected while 
under state supervision then that is one child too many. This 
legislation, although not ideal, is a valid attempt to address the 
needs of families in crisis. In 2001, an estimated 903,000 U.S. 
children were found to be victims of abuse or neglect. This number is 
above the estimated 879,000 child maltreatment victims in 2000 but 
below the annual estimated highs of more than 1 million child 
maltreatment victims recorded through the mid-1990s. For the year 2001, 
States reported 59 percent of these victims experienced neglect, 
compared to 63 percent in 2000 and 58 percent in 1999. The percentage 
of physical abuse and sexual abuse victims has declined over the past 5 
years but held constant between 2000 and 2001. These children need our 
protection. There are over 500,000 children in foster care and with 
this economic downturn I hope this number does not keep on rising. But 
hope is not enough, we need to continue to fund programs to help these 
children and their families.
  The size of the foster care caseload rises or falls depending upon 
both the number of entries to foster care--children who are removed 
from their homes in a given year--and the number of exits in that same 
year--children reunited with their families, adopted, emancipated, or 
placed in another permanent setting. The number of entries to foster 
care has outpaced the number of exits for two decades.
  Accountability is key, children who received ``services from Child 
Protective Services died as a result of abuse 16 times more often than 
children in the general population 16.3 percent of all fatalities were 
children who had received services or were 'known to the system'. These 
children were already in a high risk category however, we must do our 
best to transform these numbers and ensure their safety. Currently at 
least 716 thousand children received ``services'' (28 States reporting) 
or 1 percent of the general population. If CPS intervention had no 
effect, 1 percent of this group would have suffered a fatality; if CPS 
intervention had made an improvement, the percentage would be less than 
1 percent. However, it is 16.3 times that amount. (18 States reporting)
  At this time children are again bearing the brunt of families in 
crisis. When a household falls into poverty, children are exposed to 
increased parental distress, inadequate childcare arrangements, and 
poor nutrition. This will lead to an increase of families needing child 
welfare services. For these reasons I support this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2883, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

                          ____________________