On the recordJune 12, 2019
I know it has been a long evening and we have several hours in front of us, so I will try to be brief. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to provide funding for the expansion of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being to include data collection on the child victims of parental substance abuse, especially those of the opioid epidemic. As this epidemic continues, Madam Chair, the child welfare system across the country is being overwhelmed. That is the report that we are getting. They are just absolutely being overwhelmed. In my home State of North Carolina, foster care placements have been on the rise. In 2016, over 5,600 children were placed in foster care, and in 38 percent of infant placements, parental substance abuse was a factor. As my colleagues unfortunately know, similar increases have occurred all across the country. The NSCAW is the only national survey that provides longitudinal data on children who have been involved in State child protective services programs. It helps examine the current characteristics and needs of children and families involved with child protective services and helps to examine efforts to improve child and family well-being. However, it does not gather detailed information about the unique service needs of child victims of the opioid epidemic, their parents, their caregivers, or their child welfare professionals.…
