Peoria Standard

Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced Work and Welfare Subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood's (IL-16) Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 9076) unanimously out of the Committee. LaHood introduced the legislation with Rep. Danny Davis (IL-07).

The bipartisan package reauthorizes Title IV-B for the first time since 2021 and delivers the first significant reforms since 2008. With approximately 369,000 children currently in foster care, this legislation aims to strengthen families and support the safety and well-being of children in foster care.

The Protecting America’s Children by Strengthening Families Act includes policies from 16 different pieces of legislation from both Republican and Democrat members of the Ways and Means Committee. It follows a year-long review of the nation’s child welfare programs to identify areas for improvement.

LaHood's prepared remarks read:

"Thank you, Chairman Smith for bringing this important bipartisan bill before the Committee.

As Chairman of the Work and Welfare Subcommittee, I am proud to have introduced the 'Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act' alongside my fellow Illinoisan and Ranking Member, Danny Davis, to reauthorize and improve the Title IV-B program.

I’m pleased we are able to take a moment to consider this bipartisan legislation that demonstrates our joint commitment to supporting vulnerable children and parents.

Title IV-B is one of several child welfare programs overseen by this Committee and plays a pivotal role in family preservation and providing flexible funding to states and tribes to promote the safety, permanence, and well-being of children in foster care.

It is our Committee’s responsibility to review and update programs within our jurisdiction -- many of which were created decades ago -- to meet challenges facing families today.

We took that responsibility seriously. This bill represents the most significant reform to Title IV-B since 1993.

After a year-long investigation and three hearings to learn from stakeholders, parents, administrators, and former foster youth, we have been able to come together to develop a bill that will strengthen the child welfare system and better support families.

Nineteen (19) members of this Committee, from both sides of the aisle, introduced bills to improve IV-B and those reforms are the foundation of what we are marking up today.

This is how Congress should work. This is the process of functional governing.

Good governance means ensuring government programs are meeting today’s needs and that we are maximizing the impact of taxpayer dollars. It also means mediating different interests to achieve progress on issues that are of common concern.

The well-being and safety of America’s children and struggling families is certainly an area of common interest for both Democrats and Republicans.

The 'Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act' reauthorizes Title IV-B for five years and makes several important reforms.

This bill will

Save taxpayer dollars through early intervention to keep families together whenever possible;

Remove ineffective requirements;

Free-up more time for states by reducing administrative burden;

Expand access for tribal communities;

Build support systems for kinship caregivers;

Strengthen post-adoption services.

I am particularly thankful to Ranking Member Davis for highlighting challenges faced by children in foster care with incarcerated parents.

This bill authorizes demonstration projects to preserve family bonds during times of crisis.

Finally, I want to thank members of this Committee for your shared dedication that has gotten us here today."

The bill has been endorsed by over 30 organizations including county, state, tribal partners, as well as organizations representing former foster youth. LaHood urged colleagues to support H.R. 9076.