Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources, Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on improving programs designed to protect youth at risk of abuse and neglect. The hearing will take place on Thursday, June 16, 2011, in Room B-318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 9:00 A.M.

In view of the limited time available to hear from witnesses, oral testimony at this hearing will be from invited witnesses only. Witnesses will include a representative from the Administration for Children and Families, the federal agency with oversight over child welfare services programs, along with other experts on these issues. However, any individual or organization not scheduled for an oral appearance may submit a written statement for consideration by the Committee and for inclusion in the printed record of the hearing.

BACKGROUND:
The authorizations for two of the child welfare programs under the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction (the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services program and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program) expire at the end of fiscal year 2011. The last reauthorization of these programs, the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-288), made significant changes such as requiring that foster children be visited at least once per month, ensuring that states consult with medical providers in assessing the health and wellbeing of children in care, and helping States better address caretaker substance abuse issues. This law also extended the authorization of the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program as well as the Court Improvement Program.

The 2006 legislation also provided funds to support monthly caseworker visits and to improve outcomes for children affected by a parent’s or caretaker’s substance abuse. In addition to these changes, the law also increased accountability by requiring States to report expenditure data for the first time and by limiting the amount of child welfare services program funds States could spend on administration.

In announcing the hearing, Chairman Davis stated, “This hearing provides an important opportunity to review how key aspects of our nation’s child welfare system are working. These two programs are designed to play a significant role in protecting children from abuse and neglect. We need to review recent changes to see if they are working to improve the lives of kids in foster care and those at risk of entering care. We also need to evaluate these programs to determine whether other changes are needed to ensure children are protected from abuse and neglect.”

FOCUS OF THE HEARING:
The purpose of this hearing is to review recent changes to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services program and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program, as well as consider whether additional changes should be made in legislation to reauthorize these programs.

DETAILS FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN COMMENTS:
Please Note: Any person(s) and/or organization(s) wishing to submit for the hearing record must follow the appropriate link on the hearing page of the Committee website and complete the informational forms. From the Committee homepage, https://waysandmeans.house.gov, select “Hearings.” Select the hearing for which you would like to submit, and click on the link entitled, “Click here to provide a submission for the record.” Once you have followed the online instructions, submit all requested information. Attach your submission as a Word document, in compliance with the formatting requirements listed below, by the close of business on Thursday, June 30, 2011. Finally, please note that due to the change in House mail policy, the U.S. Capitol Police will refuse sealed-package deliveries to all House Office Buildings. For questions, or if you encounter technical problems, please call (202) 225-1721 or (202) 225-3625.


FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS:
The Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.  As always, submissions will be included in the record according to the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee will not alter the content of your submission, but we reserve the right to format it according to our guidelines.  Any submission provided to the Committee by a witness, any supplementary materials submitted for the printed record, and any written comments in response to a request for written comments must conform to the guidelines listed below.  Any submission or supplementary item not in compliance with these guidelines will not be printed, but will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.

1. All submissions and supplementary materials must be provided in Word format and MUST NOT exceed a total of 10 pages, including attachments. Witnesses and submitters are advised that the Committee relies on electronic submissions for printing the official hearing record.
   
   
2. Copies of whole documents submitted as exhibit material will not be accepted for printing. Instead, exhibit material should be referenced and quoted or paraphrased.  All exhibit material not meeting these specifications will be maintained in the Committee files for review and use by the Committee.
   
   
3. All submissions must include a list of all clients, persons and/or organizations on whose behalf the witness appears.  A supplemental sheet must accompany each submission listing the name, company, address, telephone, and fax numbers of each witness.