Davis Opening Statement at Worker & Family Support Subcommittee Hearing

(As prepared for delivery)

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a part of the long tradition in the Ways and Means Committee of enacting important, bipartisan legislation to improve foster care and better prevent child abuse and neglect. I want to continue this tradition in partnership with you, and I appreciate your thoughtful assembly of our panel of experts today.

I would be remiss if I did not note that, in just two days, the Republican Leadership’s inability to govern our Chamber will likely mean that the authorization and funding for the programs we are discussing today will expire, many parents will lose their child care, and the federal government will shut down, cutting off lifelines for many needy families. I hope we can work together to persuade your colleagues to prevent a shutdown and continue the foster-care-related programs under IV-B while we work on a bipartisan reauthorization law that puts children first.  I was disappointed that recent Republican proposals did not include a IV-B extension.

Like other states, our home-state of Illinois struggles to meet our goal of permanent homes within 18 months for the 21,000 Illinois children in foster care. Although children from all races and ethnicities suffer from abuse and neglect at similar rates, Black children are over-represented at each decision point in the child welfare system. Further, Black and American Indian/Alaska Native youth are more likely than their peers to be placed in foster care and to remain in care. Clearly, we have work to do.

Youth who have experienced foster care advised me that the best way to fix the foster care system is to help families from the start.  IV-B programs to assist families while youth are in foster care are a key part of that continuum. So are the essential services that prevent youth from entering foster care and subsidized guardianship programs that help them exit.

IV-B programs fund other key tools to help children in foster care, including:

• The Court Improvement Program that supports family courts;
• The Regional Partnership Grants that successfully coordinate services for families struggling with substance abuse;
• Caseworker visits and family stabilization services that make it safe for children to go home; and
• A wide range of assistance to adoptive families and kinship guardians that gives a helping hand to go with their boundless love.

I believe we must do even more to strengthen families, reduce time in care, and address racial disparities – for example: by providing legal services to parents and children to represent their interests; by preserving the bonds between children and their incarcerated parents; and by providing mentors with lived experience to youth and parents. The reality is that stabilizing families and keeping children safe requires additional investments; yet IV-B funding has stagnated since 2006.

I look forward to hearing from our distinguished panel of witnesses today and from my colleagues about their priorities for these important programs so that we can work together to make smart, practical investments to protect vulnerable youth and strengthen families.