As America’s child welfare system struggles under ongoing challenges, a new bill introduced on Sept. 9 by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) aims to improve and expedite the court process for placing children in foster care.
“Throughout my first term in office, I have been an outspoken advocate for foster care and adoption,” Rep. Moore said. “A positive and safe home life is the key to a child’s success, and it is imperative that we create better outcomes and streamline the process through which foster care children are placed in loving and supportive families.”
Rep. Moore sponsored the Connecting Forever Families Act of 2022, H.R. 8789, to temporarily increase federal funding for the Court Improvement Program (CIP) and improve the ability of courts to conduct remote child welfare proceedings, according to the text of the bill.
The CIP supports the judicial processes for child welfare proceedings across the United States and equips courts for training, legal representation, and technological modernization to improve outcomes and timeliness of placement for children in foster care and in need of adoption, according to a one-page bill summary provided by Rep. Moore’s office.
Unfortunately, courts are strained in their ability to help children in a timely manner due to new court training and hearing requirements, the summary says, noting that high demand — caused by navigating the ongoing opioid crisis and the pandemic — also has worsened the situation, causing courts to reduce or stop in-person proceedings.
“The Connecting Forever Families Act is an opportunity for Congress to more efficiently help thousands of children find supportive homes by bolstering the Court Improvement Program and providing resources to expedite the placement process,” said Rep. Moore.
If enacted, H.R. 8789 would increase funding for the CIP by $30 million each year for the next five years; codify regulatory language to ensure CIP funds retain wide flexibility to be used for technological modernization; and require the Administration for Children and Families under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide non-compulsory, informational implementation guidance for remote court proceedings every five years, the summary states.
The bill has garnered support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, the National Council For Adoption, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican.
“Utah is already leading the way in using technology for hybrid or remote proceedings,” Cox said. “Rep. Moore’s Connecting Forever Families Act will improve and enhance these efforts, and will be especially helpful for Utah’s foster children needing a home.”
H.R. 8789 has been referred to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee for consideration.