Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/1265

 120 STAT. 1234

PUBLIC LAW 109–288—SEPT. 28, 2006 children, such as timely achievement of permanency and other indicators of child well-being. (7) However, a December 2005 report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found that only 20 States were able to produce reports to show whether caseworkers actually visited children in foster care on at least a monthly basis, despite the fact that nearly all States had written standards suggesting monthly visits were State policy. (8) A 2003 GAO report found that the average tenure for a child welfare caseworker is less than 2 years and this level of turnover negatively affects safety and permanency for children. (9) Targeting CWS and PSSF funds to ensure children in foster care are visited on at least a monthly basis will promote better outcomes for vulnerable children, including by preventing further abuse and neglect. (10) According to the Office of Applied Studies of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the annual number of new uses of Methamphetamine, also known as ‘‘meth,’’ has increased 72 percent over the past decade. According to a study conducted by the National Association of Counties which surveyed 500 county law enforcement agencies in 45 states, 88 percent of the agencies surveyed reported increases in meth related arrests starting 5 years ago. (11) According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 12,000,000 Americans have tried methamphetamine. Meth making operations have been uncovered in all 50 states, but the most wide-spread abuse has been concentrated in the western, southwestern, and Midwestern United States. (12) Methamphetamine abuse is on the increase, particularly among women of child-bearing age. This is having an impact on child welfare systems in many States. According to a survey administered by the National Association of Counties (‘‘The Impact of Meth on Children’’), conducted in 300 counties in 13 states, meth is a major cause of child abuse and neglect. Forty percent of all the child welfare officials in the survey reported an increase in out-of-home placements because of meth in 2005. (13) It is appropriate also to target PSSF funds to address this issue because of the unique strain the meth epidemic puts on child welfare agencies. Outcomes for children affected by meth are enhanced when services provided by law enforcement, child welfare and substance abuse agencies are integrated.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM. Effective date.

VerDate 14-DEC-2004

10:20 Jul 12, 2007

(a) FUNDING OF MANDATORY GRANTS AT $345 MILLION PER FISCAL YEAR.—Effective October 1, 2006, section 436(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 629f(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2006.’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011’’. (b) FUNDING OF DISCRETIONARY GRANTS.—Section 437(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 629g(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘2002 through 2006’’ and inserting ‘‘2007 through 2011’’.

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