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 and indicating that he fully supports it versus allowing the two programs that it extends to expire, Rep. Doggett also acknowledged that this bill does not go far enough to meet more children's needs.

"With need growing and funding limited, too many of our most vulnerable children cannot access the services that they so desperately need," said Rep. Doggett. "This bill leaves too many problems unresolved, but in our current climate, I believe it is about the best that we can do to protect the well being of at-risk children. This bill reauthorizes help to at least some children, who become victims of maltreatment, provides family support activities to some vulnerable families, and promotes adoption services for those children who cannot safely return to their biological parents."

You can view Rep. Doggett's remarks by clicking here.

[Rep. Doggett's remarks as prepared for delivery]

The Chairman Mr. [Geoff] Davis is correct, we have worked on this together, we have participated in hearings together, 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 to America's most vulnerable children.

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

Each year, over 700,000 children become the victims of abuse and neglect perpetrated by the very people who are supposed to love and care for them – their parents. The joy that my wife Libby and I feel each time that we are home in Texas with our three young granddaughters—Ella, Clara, and Zayla-- makes it incomprehensible how anyone could abuse a child. Yet, that is the reality that too many of our children face. One expert estimated that a child suffers abuse in our country every six hours of every day.

I agree that both 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 will only produce more problems for other Americans in the future—they are the children we should be helping now to avoid imprisoning later. Today in America, 40 percent of children found to be victims of abuse and neglect do not receive any follow-up or intervention. Less than half of the children in foster care receive federal assistance to help with their room and board. This is unacceptable, and this bill fails to address this giant gap. Indeed, unless more is done over coming years, this gap will only widen.

And federal law, which today's legislation leaves in place, continues to provide many more resources to support children after they are removed from their homes than we do to help keep their families together. These challenges will require a much bigger and better responses in the future.

In my home State of Texas, the Promoting Safe and Stable Families [under Title IV-B] accounts for a significant source of funding that is used to serve our youngest Texans. According to Dr. Jane Burstain of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, funding from the program accounted for 2 of every 3 dollars supporting child abuse and neglect prevention programs last year. In the San Antonio, these programs provide important resources to help vulnerable children and families through the Bexar County Child Welfare Board.

This bill also continues grants to support State activities in addressing parental substance abuse in families. Last week, I received a note from my friend, District Judge Darlene Byrne in Austin, who helped establish a Family Treatment Drug Court that was partially funded with such a federal grant. Thanks to this federal support, Judge Byrne has seen "new babies who 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 stop the cycle of drug abuse, poverty, and violence in Texas. It is important to those who benefit from it directly, but all of us have a self-interest in seeking hope and opportunity for such families instead of only trouble for all of us from their neglect.

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

Today's legislation also includes some modest policy changes that will strengthen States' ability to address the needs of at-risk children.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill leaves too many problems unresolved, but in our current climate, I believe it is about the best that we can do to protect the well being of at-risk children. This bill reauthorizes help to at least some children, who become victims of maltreatment,provides family support activities to some vulnerable families, and promotes adoption services for those children who cannot safely return to their biological parents. That is why this bill is supported by child advocacy groups such as the Child Welfare League of America, First Focus, and Zero to Three, as well as by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the American Public Human Services Association, and the Conference of State Court Administrators.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

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