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Witness tells House Ways and Means panel Chafee funds should support family‑connecting tools and training
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Summary
An unidentified witness told the House Committee on Ways and Means that Chafee funds should explicitly allow states to build family‑connecting technology, along with training and education for staff; the witness said their approach yielded an average of 30 connections per youth.
An unidentified witness told the House Committee on Ways and Means that the federal Chafee Foster Care Independence Program should be clarified to allow states to use funds to develop family‑connecting tools and pay for training and education for staff. The witness said their technology has helped "find a remarkable average of 30 connections per youth."
The witness recommended that Chafee funds be made explicit for "help[ing] states build these family connecting tools, training, and education," arguing that money for tools must be paired with training so practitioners understand "why relationships matter so much for human beings." The witness said, "technology is not a solution. It's a force multiplier," adding that when staff understand the value of relationships they "dive into this work with a passion, and that's where technology allows their efforts to be multiplied."
Committee materials and the transcript do not record any formal vote or a committee directive on the recommendation. No other speakers or staff comments about next steps appear in the provided transcript.
The proposal addresses how Chafee program funds could be used at the state level to support practices aimed at building permanent connections for youth transitioning from foster care. The testimony emphasized pairing investments in technology with training and education so practitioners can use tools effectively rather than relying on technology alone.
