Hatch to Hold Finance Hearing on Alternatives to Foster Care Group Homes

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) will convene a hearing on Tuesday, August 4, to explore alternatives to help families and children reduce reliance on foster care group homes. The hearing, titled “A Way Back Home: Preserving Families and Reducing the Need for Foster Care,” will take place at 10:00 a.m. in Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

“The over-use of foster care group homes has led to many problems for our most vulnerable children,” Hatch said. “With this hearing, members of the Committee will have the opportunity to explore a variety of policy options and current services that are available to help families and protect children from these destructive homes. Finding ways to keep children safely in their own homes or in the care of a loving and stable relative is a much better alternative than relying solely on foster care.”

The witnesses at Tuesday’s hearing are:

Ms. Sandra Killett , Parent Advocate, New York, NY

, Parent Advocate, New York, NY Ms. Rosalina Burton , Former Foster Youth, Escondido, CA

, Former Foster Youth, Escondido, CA Ms. Donna Butts , Executive Director, Generations United, Washington, DC

, Executive Director, Generations United, Washington, DC Mr. Chuck Nyby , Differential Response Operations and Policy Analyst, Child Welfare Program, Oregon Department of Human Services, Salem, OR

, Differential Response Operations and Policy Analyst, Child Welfare Program, Oregon Department of Human Services, Salem, OR Ms. Ann Silverberg Williamson, Executive Director, Utah Department of Human Services, Salt Lake City, UT

Who: Senate Finance Committee What: Hearing on Foster Care Group Homes Where: 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 When: Tuesday, August 4, 2015 10:00 a.m.

For media inquiries and additional information, including webcast and testimony details, please visit: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings.

###