[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14251-14252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION ACT

  Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I know my colleagues here want to join 
in on the debate that just transpired, but I wanted to take a minute to 
talk about Senate bill 1542, which passed last night. I know, just as 
people are

[[Page 14252]]

frustrated here with everything that is going on, I think it is 
important to stop for a second, when something does pass and it is good 
policy, that we talk about it, and that is the Child and Family 
Services Improvement and Innovation Act.
  Congress took a pretty big step last night by improving the lives of 
children by the passage of this legislation. It is about keeping 
families together. It is about rewarding government efficiency and 
driving down costs, and it is about giving flexibility to invest in 
programs that are proven to work for kids and families.
  This bill is about America's children. It is about making sure that 
America's foster care program works for children so they can keep their 
families together. Too often, our Federal policies have punished States 
which have innovative programs, giving States money based on how many 
kids were still in foster care instead of rewarding success and 
innovation that helped transition children out of the foster care 
system and back with their families.
  Let me tell you what has happened in Washington State. We have been 
implementing innovative programs to improve foster care for many years 
now. When Washington State noticed a disproportionate number of Native-
American children being placed in foster care, our advocates took 
action and implemented the Washington Indian Child Welfare Act in 
developing strategies for strengthening tribal relationships and 
promoting the best interests of Native-American children.
  When Washington State noticed in general how long children were 
staying in foster care, advocates took action, this time implementing 
policies to help reduce the length of stay for children in out-of-home 
care. As a result, the median length of stay for children in out-of-
home care declined almost 100 days between 2009 and 2011. In addition, 
Washington State reduced its foster care caseloads by 13.8 percent 
during a similar time period.
  Unfortunately, instead of being rewarded for these actions, we were 
penalized, and that is what this legislation has helped to correct. In 
fact, we lost $2.7 million during that time period. So this 
legislation, instead of punishing Washington State for keeping kids out 
of foster care, helps us ensure the kind of innovation that will help 
us to make sure the best programs are implemented. This allows 
Washington to increase its capacity to keep doing the things that keep 
children who have been in the foster care system from being in the 
foster care system the entirety of their childhood. This instead drives 
them, hopefully, successfully back with their families.
  Our State can invest in evidence-based programs that have proven to 
work, and just as this legislation will help us to do, it will make 
sure that children don't bounce from foster home to foster home on a 
continuing basis. We will help to keep kids out of the care system and, 
when possible, place them back safely with families.
  Washington State Representative Ruth Kagi, who has been a tireless 
advocate for this system, said it best:

       Title IV-E waivers can help the State move from purchasing 
     specific services to purchasing specific outcomes.

  I thank Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Hatch for their timely and 
innovative work on this legislation. I wish my colleagues could have 
been at the hearing that was held earlier this year when Senator Baucus 
asked young adults, who had been part of the foster system for their 
entire lives, how to change the system.
  I thank the chairman for taking into consideration the specific 
improvements and innovations that Washington State has advocated. And I 
thank my colleague, Representative Jim McDermott, and the Washington 
State legislators who worked on this, including Partners for Our 
Children, the Children's Home Society of Washington, and the various 
social workers and advocates who, in our State, continue to try to 
innovate when it comes to foster care in America.
  This legislation is a major step forward to promote innovation on a 
Federal basis and to help keep families together. In doing so, we will 
have the benefit of also driving more efficiency and driving down the 
cost. But, more importantly, we are going to be working to strengthen 
America's children and families by trying effectively to keep them 
together.
  I thank the President, and I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.

                          ____________________