Jay Rockefeller: “I support S. 3525, the Child and Family Services Improvement Act. This is a bill that will reauthorize the Promoting…”

“I support S. 3525, the Child and Family Services Improvement Act. This is a bill that will reauthorize the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, legislation that I have worked on since its creation in 1997. I am proud to join my colleagues Senators Grassley, Baucus, Hatch and Snowe in support of this bill. Chairman Grassley deserves our deep thanks and gratitude for real leadership on this legislation and a truly bipartisan process. The Finance Committee has a strong history of bipartisanship on child welfare and foster care. And I should note that this bipartisanship is palpable at the staff level as well and the fine staff of the Finance Committee also deserve our thanks for making this agreement possible. The children at risk of abuse and neglect in their own homes are among our most vulnerable children. Over the years, progress has been made to promote each child's safety, health and need for a permanent, safe home. But with 518,000 in foster care, there is clearly more work to be done for our children. The 2006 Deficit Reduction Act included an additional $40 million per year provided for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program. Our legislation will target this new money to clear needs for our child welfare system. One priority will be to create new competitive grants to support regional partnership to combat methamphetamine, "meth," or other drug abuses that are affecting the child welfare system.”