Ranking Member Doggett Delivers Floor Speech on His Bipartisan Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, Expresses Disappointment It Does Not Do More

While praising the bipartisan nature of this bill andindicating that he fully supports it versus allowing the two programs that itextends to expire, Rep. Doggett also acknowledged that this bill does not go farenough to meet more children'sneeds.

"With need growing and fundinglimited, too many of our most vulnerable children cannot access the servicesthat they so desperately need," said Rep. Doggett. "Thisbill leaves too many problems unresolved, but in our current climate, I believeit is about the best that we can do to protect the well being of at-riskchildren. This bill reauthorizes help to at least some children, who become victims ofmaltreatment, provides family support activities to some vulnerable families, and promotesadoption services for those children who cannot safely return to theirbiological parents."

You can viewRep. Doggett's remarks by clicking here.

[Rep. Doggett'sremarks as prepared for delivery]

The Chairman Mr. [Geoff] Davis iscorrect, we have worked on this together, we have participated in hearingstogether, learned together and cooperated on this very important subject towhich we may bring differing perspectives but a common goal of wanting torespond to the needs to America's most vulnerable children.

This is a bipartisan bill, which Ifully support, but it is important to understand what we support and where wehave differences, and to understand what this legislation accomplishes and whatit fails to accomplish. It certainly is preferable to allowing two veryimportant laws to expire next week.

Each year, over 700,000 childrenbecome the victims of abuse and neglect perpetrated by the very people who aresupposed to love and care for them – their parents. The joy that my wife Libbyand I feel each time that we are home in Texas with our three younggranddaughters—Ella, Clara, and Zayla-- makes it incomprehensible how anyonecould abuse a child. Yet, that is the reality that too many of our childrenface. One expert estimated that a child suffers abuse in our country every sixhours of every day.

I agree that both Child WelfareServices and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families laws should be renewed foranother 5 years. I disagree that these programs should be continued at theircurrent baseline funding levels, since with need growing and funding limited,too many of our most vulnerable children cannot access the services that they sodesperately need. These are the children, whose neglect will only produce moreproblems for other Americans in the future—they are the children we should behelping now to avoid imprisoning later. Today in America, 40 percent of children foundto be victims of abuse and neglect do not receive any follow-up orintervention. Less than half of the children in foster care receive federalassistance to help with their room and board. This is unacceptable, and thisbill fails to address this giant gap. Indeed, unless more is done over comingyears, this gap will only widen.

And federal law, which today'slegislation leaves in place, continues to provide many more resources to supportchildren after they are removed from their homes than we do to help keep theirfamilies together. These challenges will require a much bigger and betterresponses in the future.

In my home State of Texas, the Promoting Safeand Stable Families [under Title IV-B] accounts for a significant source offunding that is used to serve our youngest Texans. According to Dr. JaneBurstain of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, funding from theprogram accounted for 2 of every 3 dollars supporting child abuse and neglectprevention programs last year. In the SanAntonio, these programs provide important resources to helpvulnerable children and families through the Bexar County Child Welfare Board.

This bill also continues grants tosupport State activities in addressing parental substance abuse in families. Last week, I received a note from my friend, District Judge Darlene Byrne inAustin, whohelped establish a Family TreatmentDrug Court that was partially funded with such afederal grant. Thanks to this federal support, Judge Byrne has seen "new babieswho are not drug positive"; "moms and couples reunify with their children"; and"workers who receive their GEDs or high school diplomas and find employment." In short, this program has contributed to transformed lives and helped to stopthe cycle of drug abuse, poverty, and violence in Texas. It is importantto those who benefit from it directly, but all of us have a self-interest inseeking hope and opportunity for such families instead of only trouble for allof us from their neglect.

The legislation also extends theCourt Improvement Program, which provides funding for each State's highest courtto improve judicial proceedings on foster care and adoption cases, and providestraining for judges, attorneys, and other court officials. The program has beensuccessful in improving the quality of legal representation for children acrossthe nation, including Texas, which has used the program to reformState laws, policies, and court procedures.

Today's legislation also includessome modest policy changes that will strengthen States' ability to address theneeds of at-risk children.

This bill also improves the sharingof data used in the administration of child welfare programs. Just as datasharing can detect individuals who should not receive benefits, it also can beused to improve outreach to Americans who are eligible for assistance, but whoare not receiving it.

Mr. Speaker, this bill leaves toomany problems unresolved, but in our current climate, I believe it is about thebest that we can do to protect the well being of at-risk children. This billreauthorizes help to at least some children, who become victims of maltreatment,provides family support activities to some vulnerable families, and promotesadoption services for those children who cannot safely return to theirbiological parents. That is why this bill is supported by child advocacy groupssuch as the Child Welfare League of America, First Focus, and Zero to Three, aswell as by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the American PublicHuman Services Association, and the Conference of State CourtAdministrators.

I urge all of my colleagues tosupport this legislation.

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