Miller Participates in Ways and Means Committee Hearing on Strengthening Child Welfare
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) participated in a Ways and Means Committee Hearing on reauthorizing Title IV-B, a program that serves children and youth in foster care, to help strengthen child welfare.
Congresswoman Miller began her remarks by highlighting the Ways and Means Committee’s efforts to address challenges within the child welfare system.
“I want to thank all four of you [for being here.] Your stories, your information, and your feedback is so important to us. I’m a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. I never knew how many feet would be underneath my table at dinner, and many nights there were a lot of extra feet. I’ve always had empathy for children who may have just been hungry, but the social welfare that we have for our kids, the system is so important to me, and I am encouraged that our committee is taking the necessary steps to discuss what needs to happen. Many children entering the child welfare system have urgent, material needs that can be addressed without direct government intervention. In West Virginia, 53% of our foster children are cared for by relatives, often older grandparents who are retired. They struggle to afford unexpected expenses, things like car seats or formula. Given the rural nature of our state, accessing these much-needed resources can be very challenging. I introduced H.R. 476, the ‘Helping HANDS for Families Act,’ with Representative Judy Chu, as she mentioned earlier, [to allow Title IV-B funds] to be used for electronic services and tools that connect families to essential support services online,” said Congresswoman Miller.
Congresswoman Miller questioned Rob Geen, the Chair of Board of Trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Bipartisan Policy Center Fellow, on how Title IV-B services are offered to rural families.
“Mr. Geen, do you believe that providing more flexibility in how Title IV-B services are delivered could better serve families, particularly in rural areas like West Virginia?” asked Congresswoman Miller.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the type of coordination and navigation you’re talking about is essential for the birth parents, essential for the kinship caregivers. My understanding or my read of Title IV-B would say that it is already something that is allowable. Clarifying that with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) might be a first step,” responded Mr. Geen.
Congresswoman Miller discussed the purpose and benefits of both the Court Improvement Program (CIP) and the Court Improvement Program Enhancement Act regarding child welfare cases.
"Another policy that I have worked on with my colleagues would be providing additional flexibilities within the Court Improvement Program. The Court Improvement Program helps courts conduct hearings on child abuse and neglect in a timely matter, and provides training to judges with trauma-informed care. This will ensure that children who enter these courts have the support they so desperately need. Along with Representatives Blake Moore and Judy Chu, I introduced the Court Improvement Program Enhancement Act which will allow CIP funds to be used towards improving technology support for remote hearings, and allow state courts to use CIP funds [for remote training for judges, attorneys, and other legal personnel] to improve parent, family, and youth engagement in their child welfare proceedings,” said Congresswoman Miller.
Congresswoman Miller questioned Mr. Geen on the impact of fully preparing individuals for child welfare proceedings and the benefits of remote hearing flexibility.
“Mr. Geen, can you speak to the importance of ensuring that everyone involved in a child welfare proceeding is appropriately trained, and how more remote hearing flexibilities would actually allow for better overall outcomes [for children in a courtroom setting]?” asked Congresswoman Miller.
“I think that the child welfare system as a whole learned a lot during COVID. Many courts experimented with remote hearings. My reading of the experience is that it was mixed. They definitely appreciated the opportunity, and it is a vital component moving forward, but it’s not a catch all, it’s not a silver bullet. Just because we have a remote hearing doesn’t make it a high-quality hearing. We need to keep a close eye on what those hearings look like and make sure that everyone involved is trained to use the technology in a way that we’re treating families fairly, but as an option, absolutely,” responded Mr. Geen.
Congresswoman Miller thanked Lived-Experience Advocate and CEO of 11:11 Media, Paris Hilton, for her advocacy on behalf of youth in foster care. Congresswoman Miller also asked Mrs. Hilton about ways to help teens who struggle with mental health and substance abuse.
“First and foremost, thank you for using your platform and personal story to bring attention to the troubling experiences that so many youths are facing in our foster and residential treatment homes. It is absolutely critical that we keep the wellbeing of children at the forefront of all these discussions, and you have been tireless in turning your personal trauma into advocacy on behalf of troubled youth, so thank you. We hear a lot about the increase in mental health disorders in youth, including disorders like ADHD, depression, anxiety, and suicide. In my home state of West Virginia, we also struggle with high rates of substance use disorder among children and have been fighting the opioid epidemic for years. Far too many young people are struggling with their mental health and are unable to get the support they need. How do you think we can improve the support we give teens and youth to help them cope, and to have a healthy transition into adulthood, especially when you’re talking about foster youth who have already had so much trauma?” asked Congresswoman Miller.
“Thank you so much. I am grateful that we are having this discussion to figure out what the kids need. I think that the first step is asking the youth. We should prioritize Lived Experience voices to ensure that we truly understand what could help them and then figure out how to do that. I believe youth need access to mental health in their communities, mentorship, and community. We do have a mental health crisis for our kids, and it scares me for my own children. I’m confident that we can bolster support for children and their parents in the community and will prevent trauma by removing children and placing them in facilities, as no child should spend their childhood in a facility,” responded Mrs. Hilton.
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