H.R. 911, “Stop Child Abuse at Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009″ was proposed by Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and passed quickly through the U.S. House of Representatives on February 23, 2009. The bill is currently pending in the U.S. Senate. It requires regulation and licensing of residential programs, whether or not public funds are accepted, and spells out many specific requirements.
CORE supports the intent of H.R. 911, and is working to try to improve specific sections of the legislation. CORE is partnering with other national organizations for some aspects of this work.
CORE supports federal legislation H.R. 911, “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009,”
and is working with policymakers to ensure the federal government holds states accountable for implementing standards rather than create a system of dual oversight – federal and state – as the bill currently requires.
Families, judges, social workers, and school guidance counselors must be assured that the safety and well-being of youth in all residential programs are protected. Passed in the House on February 23, 2009, this bill is currently being considered in the Senate.
For the first time, residential education is endorsed as an option for children as a matter of public policy. Public Law No: 109-288, “Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006,” specifically cites residential education in “Sec. 6. Improvements to the Child Welfare Services Program” as a placement option for children in foster care, in which Congress urges states to expand the range of services for children. This reauthorization legislation, signed on September 28, 2006, will remain in effect for at least five years.
A major advocacy victory, this provision signifies that federal policy endorses residential education as a foster care option, and implies that, as a matter of public policy, residential education is a valuable option for all at-risk youth.
The inclusion of residential education as an option for children in the foster care system, cited in the “Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006,” comes after months of deliberations with congressional staff, as well as Goldsmith’s testimony on Capitol Hill before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, where she urged the expansion of the range of services, including residential education, for children in foster care.
More Info:
- Committee on Ways and Means Hearing Archives – 05/23/06