[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Pages 3099-3100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING CASEY FAMILY PROGRAMS

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am proud to serve as a co-chair 
of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth. Through this caucus and from my 
time in the Senate, I have learned about the experiences that many 
young people have faced when entering the foster care system. I have 
worked to help improve the system by ensuring that children are cared 
for and that we do all we can to find them safe, loving, and permanent 
homes. Children should grow up in families, not foster care.
  Today, I want to pay tribute to Casey Family Programs. It is the 
Nation's largest operating foundation focused exclusively on child 
welfare. Casey is operating in Iowa and all the States to provide 
strategic consultation, technical assistance, data analysis, and 
independent research and evaluation. It enjoys a unique partnership 
with the States by asking what jurisdictions hope to achieve that 
matches the foundation's mission and working with the State in 
partnership. Casey Family Programs also provides direct service to 
children and families in some States, and it is committed to the goal 
that no child will age out of their care without a caring adult by 
2017.
  As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, I value the 
research, data, and policy information that Casey Family program 
shares. They have done so much for States, children, and families since 
their inception.
  This month, Casey Family Programs is celebrating its 50th 
Anniversary. I want to say congratulations to its board of trustees and 
leadership for working so hard to reduce the number of youth in foster 
care. With their help, we are working every day to make sure foster 
care is a layover, not a destination.

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