Moore Opening Statement at Markup of H.R. 7995, the “Chafee Opportunities for New Networks and Existing Connection Trust (CONNECT) Act”
(As prepared for delivery)
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Neal.
And thank you to Mr. Carey for co-leading this very important bill.
As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I am privileged to interact with youth who have lived experience in the foster care system on a regular basis.
One thing I hear time and time again is how isolating and lonely aging out of care can be.
Youth aging out are oftentimes unable to achieve permanency with a foster or adoptive family, kinship caregivers, or their biological family, through no fault of their own.
This, in turn, leaves them without a trusted adult in their lives to help them navigate the complexities of transitioning to adulthood.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: you do not magically become an adult at 18.
You do not suddenly have the skills and knowledge needed to succeed as an adult on your 18th birthday. It takes the guidance and mentorship of a trusted adult, which many of us had in our parents. Many of these youth do not have this luxury, and they deserve our support.
That’s why I’ve introduced the CONNECT Act, which would amend the statutory purposes of the Chafee program to help youth create meaningful connections with adults and build a lifelong support network as a purpose of the Chafee program, and clarify that Chafee funds may be used to help youth be partners in their permanency process and to facilitate and support peer support, mentoring, family reunification, kinship families, and adoptive families.
This bill also requires the Secretary of HHS to issue guidance regarding implementation of the new statutory purposes of the program, including facilitation of peer mentoring, outreach and referrals to appropriate programs and services, and protocols for targeted support.
Data doesn’t lie.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), having at least one safe, stable, and nurturing relationship with a supportive adult dramatically reduces the negative impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), an example of which is being removed from your home and placed in foster care.
Children with stable, nurturing relationships with trusted adults are better able to regulate their emotions, form other stable relationships, and are more likely to experience better academic outcomes.
We owe it to these youth to help them take control of their own destiny, and we can start by helping them build the network they need to do so.
I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation, and I yield back.
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