Resource Testimonies/Comments
Resource
FY24 Budget Testimony: Child and Family Services Agency
Children’s Law Center Policy Director Sharra E. Greer testified before the DC Council’s Committee on Facilities and Family Services at the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA)’s budget hearing. As Sharra noted in her testimony, while we are glad to see significant new investments in prevention in CFSA’s proposed budget, we are concerned that reducing funding for the Grandparent Caregiver Program and providing no further investment in home visiting will undermine our larger goal of successfully keeping children with their families. Further, we emphasize that although the number of children in foster care has decreased, the children who do enter foster care often have experienced high levels of trauma resulting in significant behavioral health needs and challenges in finding stable foster care placements. Thus, we urge the Committee to work with CFSA to understand the true impact that cuts to CFSA’s placement will have on securing stable, appropriate placements that meet the unique needs of every child in the care & custody of CFSA.