Video & Transcript Research : 'M.J. Foster Promise Program'

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NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Finance (02/20/2026)

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • foster care.
  • of foster care. of foster care.
  • <00:11:45.519> Um, they leave foster care. Um, they leave foster care.
  • of this program. of this program.
  • uh program. That was one aspect of it. uh program. That was one aspect of it.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Health and Welfare May 6th, 2026

Health & Welfare

Transcript Highlights:
  • This program wasn't developed in a vacuum.
  • This program wasn't developed in a vacuum.
  • So I think it's a great program.
  • HB 584 is about our children in foster care.
  • I have received some complaints from foster parents that their foster child wants to be in court, but
Keywords: 974, senate, all
Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 6, 2026, with five members present. After adopting the April 28 minutes, the committee heard a brief presentation on the new Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Program, which is intended to bring together health care, business, policy, and education leaders to study Louisiana health challenges and build a network for action. Members expressed support for the program and its potential value to health policy work. The committee then advanced several bills, often with technical or substantive amendments. SB 57, a nutrition-labeling bill, was amended to push its effective date to December 31, 2028 and reported as amended. HB 62 increased the membership of the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission to 27 members and was reported as amended. HB 193 updated membership rules for the sickle cell commission foundations so long-serving executive directors would not have to reapply repeatedly, and it was reported as amended. HB 815 would allow financial institutions to receive death certificates to help families manage accounts after a death; it was reported favorably after a question about state-licensed banks. SB 405 was substantially revised to codify LDH’s new Ascend nursing-facility quality initiative, including statewide quality oversight goals, stakeholder involvement, reporting requirements, and tools such as dashboards and surveys; after reconsidering prior action and adopting the new amendment, the bill was reported as amended. The committee also approved HB 222, which provides Medicaid dental coverage when needed for another covered medical procedure, and HB 420, which requires background checks for all DCFS employees with access to sensitive information. HB 475 requires verbal consent when AI is used to record or transcribe a medical visit and was reported favorably after a technical question. HB 246 updated membership of the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board and the council on grandparents raising grandchildren, including replacing an inactive coalition seat with the state police superintendent or designee. HB 486 would enter Louisiana into the psychology inter-jurisdictional compact to expand access to mental health care, and HB 574 updated outdated board names on the Mental Health Advisory Services Board; both were reported favorably. Later, the committee reported HB 949, which creates a licensure framework for radiologist assistants to help address imaging workforce shortages, especially in rural areas, and HB 584, which requires foster children to be provided luggage instead of trash bags for their belongings and restores “rights” language in the Foster Youth Bill of Rights. The committee also reported HB 1214, restructuring certain LDH facilities into a single system under the secretary’s office; HB 1092, a technical renaming/terminology cleanup bill; and HB 203, which adds members to the uterine fibroids commission. Throughout the meeting, members and witnesses emphasized access to care, workforce shortages, child welfare, and quality improvement, and the committee repeatedly adopted amendments and reported the bills favorably or as amended before adjourning.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Transcript Highlights:
  • However, when the program is offered, Programs are very limited.
  • program.
  • program.
  • They're out doing programming all day. The guards supervise those programs.
  • I meant regular programming, kind of clinical programming. They did offer that.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security focused on several correction-related bills, including visitation reform, elder and medical parole, incarcerated persons’ human rights, and creation of an independent correctional oversight office. Vice Chair Christopher Worrell chaired the hearing in place of Chair Dan Cahill for much of the session and explained that the committee would first hear from incarcerated individuals remotely, then move to public testimony. The committee repeatedly enforced three-minute limits and accepted written testimony as well. Much of the testimony from incarcerated people emphasized that visitation is central to rehabilitation, family stability, and reentry, and that current DOC policies—visitor caps, pre-approval requirements, scheduling rules, dress-code enforcement, and restrictions on contact—have reduced family contact and caused harm. Several speakers argued that elderly and medically frail prisoners should be released through parole because incarceration is costly, ineffective, and inhumane for people who pose little public-safety risk. Others described poor prison conditions, limited programming, inadequate healthcare, segregation-like housing, and the impact of K2 use, suicides, and self-harm. Supporters of the oversight bill said an independent office is needed to address racial disparities, grievance failures, and lack of accountability within the DOC. A number of speakers tied their support to personal experiences, including alleged racial discrimination, denial of programs, and barriers to family visits. Some testified that rehabilitative programming, education, and restorative justice reduce violence and improve outcomes, while others said the DOC spends too little on programming and too much on punishment. Committee members asked a few follow-up questions, including about K2 contraband and how to reduce drugs in facilities, and one member asked about typical visitation lengths. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony on the bills and several witnesses urged favorable reports.
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Fiscal Policy Feb 18th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Currently, foster care agencies can apply for these benefits on behalf of foster youths.
  • Currently, foster care agencies can apply for these benefits on behalf of foster youths.
  • Bay County, and the Pompano RYZE program in Broward County.
  • in addition to nursing education programs.
  • in addition to nursing education programs.
Summary: The Fiscal Policy Committee met and first adopted a late-filed amendment to SB 774, which expands enhanced workers’ compensation coverage to 911 public safety telecommunicators for mental or nervous injuries. The bill drew supportive testimony from a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher and others, and was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably SB 770 on forensic services for certain defendants, which would allow the Agency for Persons with Disabilities to consolidate secure forensic services for individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism whose charges were dismissed after incompetency findings. Members then considered several public safety, family, and workforce bills. CS/SB 86, which declares unauthorized aliens operating commercial vehicles an imminent safety hazard and imposes vehicle impoundment and a $50,000 penalty on motor carriers, was reported favorably after questions about impound procedures and cargo handling; one speaker opposed it. SB 1594, protecting veterans’ benefits for foster youth so the funds are reserved for postsecondary education, training, and after-care services, was reported favorably with supportive testimony from a former DCF attorney. CS/SB 760, creating a new offense for willful violations of no-contact pretrial release conditions in violent crime cases, was reported favorably despite criminal defense attorneys’ concerns about a provision allowing warrantless arrests without officer observation. The committee also approved a complete rewrite of the nonprofit corporations chapter in SB 554, a sickle cell continuing education bill (SB 844) after extensive emotional testimony from patients, advocates, and family members, and SB 1022 adding two children’s initiative programs in Bay County and Broward County. CS/SB 1246 broadened the Linking Industry to Nursing Education Fund to include health science education programs and related workforce needs and was reported favorably. Finally, the committee approved CS/CS/SB 1230 restricting use and sale of certain firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS, and CS/CS/SB 128 directing DEP to mark Red Harris Spoil Island; both passed with favorable votes. Several senators later asked to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on specific tabs, and the meeting adjourned without further business.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • Sort of special programs that may not get state funding.
  • while preserving the goals of many of those programs.
  • change caused a halt in NEVI program funding distribution.
  • To the sole areas of Bobby Foster interchange at $5 million.
  • The total program for 2025 TPF funding was $16.8 million.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

House - Judiciary Mar 1st, 2025

House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm a former foster parent.
  • I have been representing foster children since 2001.
  • I'm here as a foster parent who adopted my foster children.
  • We're the first state sued for foster care under the Joseph A.
  • Programs and the staff that are doing that work.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • LET ME BREAK THAT DOWN, WE WANT TO HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY WRITTEN WITH GREAT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS
  • YOUTH INDEPENDENCE, THE FYI PROGRAM.
  • I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THIS BILL AND GIVE EVERY FOSTER YOUTH THE CHANCE TO SUCCEED.
  • I PLAN TO USE THE FOSTER DEPENDENCE HOUSING VOUCHER A FEDERAL PROGRAM ACCESSIBLE TO FLORIDA, HOWEVER
  • SUPPORTING THE FOSTER YOUTH TO INDEPENDENCE PROGRAM MANDATING COLLABORATION WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF
Keywords: 999, senate, all
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • On page 10, at the top, you'll see at the end of the quarter the number of children in foster care at
  • At the bottom of page 10, you can see in the third quarter 578 children entered into foster care, 478
  • care being placed with relatives, and then secondary to that is in foster homes.
  • On the top of page 13, you will see the caseworker visits to children in foster care.
  • At the bottom of page 15, re-entries into foster care: 4.5 percent.
Keywords: 1204, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging, Children and Youth approved the minutes from the February 11 meeting and then reviewed a DCFS policy manual update presented by Director Tiffany Wright. The rule changes moved internal procedures out of administrative rule and into DCFS’s internal procedure manual under an executive order, while also updating terminology, aligning language with recent laws, revising foster family continuing education requirements, and removing obsolete requirements. Committee members asked whether the changes altered practice or mainly changed wording; Wright said the updates were largely terminology and organizational changes, not substantive shifts in procedure. The committee then reviewed the rule without objection. Wright next presented DCFS quarterly and biannual reports. She reported third-quarter child welfare data including hotline reports, investigations, true findings, maltreatment recurrence, foster care entries and exits, placement with relatives, permanency rates, adoptions, and caseload totals. Members asked about neglect causes, sexual abuse categories, behavioral issues leading to foster care, staffing shortages, recruitment and retention efforts, training improvements, and whether ACE testing should be incorporated for children; Wright said DCFS uses PACE evaluations rather than ACE testing and was open to further discussion. She also presented the overturned investigations report, which tracks hotline calls, accepted reports, true findings, appeals, and reversals by county for July 2024 through June 2025. Major Jeff Drew of the Crimes Against Children Division then gave the annual hotline and investigation report. He said hotline calls increased in 2025, as did reports accepted for investigation, and that CACD investigations resulted in a 28% substantiation rate. Committee members asked about hotline operator training, hiring requirements, customer service experience, evidence handling, decision-making training, and starting salary; Drew said operators receive four weeks of training and start at $43,088 plus benefits. Elizabeth Pooley of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas reported that the statewide network of 29 centers and 64 multidisciplinary teams provided 259 trainings and served 13,568 children and families in 2025, an increase from the prior year. She said funding comes from state, federal, and community sources, with state funding set at roughly $70,000 to $75,000 per center, and noted work is underway on state best practices. The meeting ended after a brief public comment about Meals on Wheels and a Project Zero event announcement, with no further business.
US
Transcript Highlights:
  • He ran our most secretive programs for all military services.
  • And it is a program of record? Yes ma'am. Thank you sir. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
  • And do you believe that's a DEI program? I do not. Thank you.
  • most classified programs.
  • What would be the consequences for discussing a special access program on Signal?
Summary: The meeting centered on the nomination of retired Lieutenant General Dan Kane for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delving into various security concerns and the strategic environment facing the U.S. today. Testimonies highlighted the growing threats from adversaries such as China and Russia, with discussions around the necessity of maintaining and modernizing military capabilities to address these challenges. The need for agility in military operations and enhancing collaboration among various defense agencies was underscored. Further, concerns were raised regarding the defense budget and the importance of a strong national defense strategy were prevalent throughout the discussions. The committee members collectively emphasized the need for superior readiness and modernization to keep pace with global threats.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • We promise. >> Great. >> Well again thank you for the opportunity to be here.
  • We promise. under. We promise. >> Great. >> Great. >> Great.
  • The primary promise of consolidation is to lower tax burdens.
  • <01:08:28.719> I'm engagement that we foster to build.
  • I'm engagement that we foster to build.
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The meeting focused on school governance and a proposed shift in responsibilities related to SAU consolidation, with committee members first discussing how school board members and other local officials would be selected for future testimony. The main presentation came from the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, whose executive director Brady Belair and several principals argued that mandatory statewide administrative consolidation should be approached cautiously and that any consolidation should be voluntary and locally driven. They said anticipated savings may not materialize, citing possible higher personnel, transportation, and technology costs, and warned that forcing changes could create disruption without improving student outcomes. Principals testified that their jobs are already broad and demanding, centered on instructional leadership, student safety, staff supervision, family communication, and day-to-day crisis response. Kathleen Murphy of Amherst described working 60 to 70 hours a week and said principals spend substantial time coaching teachers, handling student issues, and supporting school climate; she said adding more administrative duties would compromise student learning and teacher growth. Adam Osborne of Bow Memorial School similarly described principals as daily problem-solvers who set school-level direction and create conditions for schools to thrive. The witnesses also emphasized that principals, superintendents, school boards, and business administrators have different training and responsibilities, and that specialized tasks such as special education compliance, FERPA/HIPAA issues, and labor matters require appropriate expertise. Committee members questioned the witnesses about overlap between superintendent and principal duties, the completeness of statutory responsibility lists, and whether some functions such as curriculum, discipline, hiring, and evaluation are shared. The principals acknowledged some overlap and collaboration, but said superintendents typically handle broader system-level, legal, and central-office responsibilities while principals focus on building-level leadership and teacher support. One member raised the earlier expectation that districts might move to a principal-plus-business-manager model, but the witnesses said that model did not develop as expected and that district structures vary widely. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Government Finance Committee Jun 25th, 2026 at 10:00 am

Government Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Are they going to stop that program?
  • This is an infrastructure program.
  • This is an infrastructure program.
  • And we were very careful to make sure that we didn't cut down on programming space because programming
  • Of note: foster care and adoption, any parents, foster parents, child care workers in a child care setting
Keywords: 908, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Transcript Highlights:
  • All three girls are in foster care.
  • We owe it to Ray and every child experiencing foster care to pass this bill.
  • We owe it to Ray and every child experiencing foster care to pass this bill.
  • I'm here on behalf of CPCS to support House... ...represent children in foster care.
  • They supported my mother, the kinship foster parent, instead of helping me, the panel.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on a package of Department of Children and Families bills focused on care and protection proceedings, sibling placement, parenting time, foster parent eligibility, adoption timelines, and a proposed Harmony Montgomery Commission. Rep. Marjorie Decker framed her bills as a set intended to reduce trauma for children removed from home by promoting sibling placement, visitation, cultural continuity, and limits on barriers to foster/adoptive placement. Witnesses from CASA, the Massachusetts Child Welfare Coalition, CPCS, and others generally supported the sibling-placement and parenting-time bills and the Harmony Commission, while several urged that the commission include a birth parent with lived experience and that its scope remain focused on child safety and family rights. A former juvenile court judge also supported the Harmony Commission, citing failures in the Harmony Montgomery case and broader concerns about DCF power and child representation. No votes were taken during the hearing. A large portion of the hearing focused on Senate 114, the “Family Protection and Transparency Act,” which would require DCF to provide families with written and verbal notice of their rights during investigations, including the right to remain silent, consult counsel, and refuse entry absent legal authority except in emergencies. Supporters included parents, former foster youth, attorneys, advocates, and a peer mentor, many of whom described personal experiences of confusion, coercion, retaliation, and family separation when DCF became involved. They argued the bill would improve due process, language access, transparency, and accountability without limiting DCF’s emergency powers. Several witnesses also described intergenerational DCF involvement and said families often need resources and legal guidance rather than punitive intervention. Testimony on House 268 emphasized the importance of keeping siblings together in foster care whenever possible. Advocates cited research showing better mental health, educational, and reunification outcomes when siblings remain together, and several young people testified about being separated from brothers and sisters and the lasting impact of that separation. CPCS supported the bill and said regular sibling visitation should be required when joint placement is not possible. House 269, 270, 271, 288, and 293 were also on the notice, but the transcript reflects little or no testimony on some of those measures. The hearing concluded after the committee heard from all scheduled witnesses and invited written testimony for additional details.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

04/06/2026 - Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety

Transcript Highlights:
  • And then 30% are in a licensed foster home.
  • In DCS for children in foster care.
  • The program is an individualized, evidence-based program.
  • And then I did want to highlight our workforce resilience program, which is a really incredible program
  • You’ve mentioned that a lot of kids are coming back into the foster care program due to behavioral health
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The committee met to review Department of Child Safety reforms developed after oversight hearings on the deaths of Emily Pike, Zariah Dodd, and Rebecca Baptiste. Members described a stakeholder process involving tribes, DCS, law enforcement, county attorneys, schools, and advocates that produced several bills already moving through the Legislature or signed by the governor. Those measures include SB 1125 on tribal-DCS information sharing, a bill requiring schools to provide records to DCS in investigations, a duty-to-report bill requiring direct knowledge, a hotline bill allowing DCS to consider 90 days of prior reports and route repeat cases to more experienced staff, a bill allowing attorneys to share more safety information with judges, and a requirement for advanced forensic interviews within 72 hours in sexual abuse cases. The chair emphasized that reforms are needed across DCS, the courts, and attorneys, and that the San Carlos Tribe’s letter would be entered into the record. DCS Director Catherine Patak presented 2025 agency data, saying the hotline received nearly 160,000 calls and 43,000 cases were investigated, while the out-of-home care population stayed relatively steady at just over 7,000 children. She reported 3,000 reunifications, 1,300 adoptions, 800 guardianships, 1,100 young adults receiving transition services, 534 new foster homes licensed, a 50% reimbursement increase for older youth caregivers, a 40% drop in youth missing from care since September 2024, and a 30% reduction in fatalities of children in care since 2024. She also discussed the annual fatality review process, noting 123 alleged fatality or near-fatality reports in the review period, 52 with prior DCS involvement, and systemic themes such as support for teens with complex needs, collaboration with law enforcement and the courts, and better staff support. Patak answered questions about group-home notification rules, saying DCS is updating rules to remove “runaway” and “AWOL” and use “missing” consistently, while also considering a statute change for the timing of notifications. She said about 300 children in care are there because of behavioral issues after adoption, and members raised concerns about insufficient behavioral health services for adopted children and the need for better training and support in group homes. Senators also asked about placement practices for sexually abused children and whether staff gender matching is considered; Patak said she was not aware of a specific requirement and would look into it. The committee then heard from Malcolm Hightower of Casey Family Programs, who said Arizona is generally near the national average on child welfare measures, does better than average on kin placements, but has a higher-than-average share of children in congregate care and slightly lower permanency within two years. He noted Arizona’s safety outcomes are roughly in line with national rates and urged continued cross-branch collaboration and timely information sharing. A final presentation from KC Melsick of Collaborative Safety focused on the agency’s systemic critical incident review model. He argued that child welfare and other public systems should move away from blame-focused responses after tragedies and toward a “safety culture” that examines system factors, near misses, and decision-making. He said Arizona has used this approach since 2016, with reported improvements including reduced turnover, and that the model is similar to after-action reviews used in the military and root-cause analysis in healthcare. Members discussed applying the same approach more broadly across state agencies. The committee ended with expressions of appreciation for the bill sponsors, DCS staff, tribal partners, and ongoing work, and adjourned with plans to continue the reforms in the interim and next session.
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

January 14, 2025 - 03:30 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • Florida's child welfare program is dedicated to protect Florida's child welfare system.
  • These updates are aimed at fostering consistent understanding, application, and evaluation.
  • Two of my five children were adopted from Florida's foster care system.
  • These programs are not easy to build. They're not quick to build.
  • Our next choice is a family foster home.
Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee held its first meeting of the term and heard introductory remarks from the chair, vice chair, ranking member, and members, who broadly described their interest in child welfare, mental health, aging services, homelessness, and agency accountability. The chair then outlined the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, including child welfare, mental health and substance abuse safety net services, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, elder services, and child support, and introduced the Department of Children and Families (DCF) as the first agency panel for the term. DCF presented an implementation update on HB 7089, a 2024 law aimed at increasing accountability and transparency for community-based care (CBC) lead agencies that deliver most child welfare services under contract. The department said the bill was prompted by forensic examinations that found problems such as noncompetitive procurement, related-party transactions, excessive executive compensation, and weak financial oversight. DCF described new contract requirements and monitoring tools covering board governance and annual training, conflict-of-interest disclosures, financial penalties for noncompliance, fidelity bond requirements, limits on direct service provision by lead agencies, related-party procurement rules, procurement thresholds, real-property approvals, compensation caps, expanded public reporting, and a new Future of Child Protection and Funding Work Group. DCF reported that some lead agencies had completed required board training, others were still on schedule, and two agencies exceeding the direct-service threshold had been referred to the Auditor General. Members asked DCF about the reasons for the bill, the impact on children, the work group’s regional representation, aging-out youth, the Embrace Families transition, board training requirements, and whether enforcement actions had been taken. DCF said the bill was intended to protect funds for children and families and improve oversight, and clarified that the Central Florida lead agency contract was awarded through competitive procurement rather than an absorption. DCF also said the board training was designed to be meaningful but not overly burdensome, with timing left partly to lead agencies as they implement the new requirements. The committee then heard from two CBC leaders, who generally supported the accountability goals of HB 7089 and said their agencies had already addressed most of the new governance and disclosure requirements. They reported that board training had been completed or was being scheduled, but both agencies said the fidelity bond requirement has been difficult or impossible to obtain in the market as written, though they were able to secure the separate performance bond. The CBC witnesses also warned that recruiting providers is increasingly difficult, especially for higher-acuity children and group-home placements, due to limited provider supply, regulatory burden, insurance costs, and rising risk. They said these pressures are contributing to budget deficits in some areas and urged lawmakers to consider the funding model, insurance and indemnification issues, and the risk of overregulation reducing provider participation.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Health and Human Services - Part 1 - 03/17/26

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • internship programs. internship programs.
  • As I was reaching adulthood, my worker explained the extended foster care program to me.
  • transitioning out of foster care. transitioning out of foster care.
  • create a better system for the foster create a better system for the foster youth<02:03:29.680><
  • Expanding foster care eligibility in this context could create overlapping program expectations or complicate
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (01/29/2026)

Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Lower fees, no promises. >> Okay. Uh didn't you already ask a question?
  • I can absolutely promise you that. >> Would you believe?
  • I can absolutely promise >> No, it was not.
  • I can absolutely promise you<01:55:39.760> that. you that. you that.
  • For example, the T app promised to delete authentication data but kept it unencrypted.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Higher Education Apr 29th, 2025

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Program in a pediatric subspecialty for medical in the state.
  • We've got a robust workforce education program in Texas.
  • So she wasn't receiving services from their foster care liaison.
  • foster youth when they first come into school.
  • expand those programs? I would hope so.
Bills: HB232