Bill Overview
Title: Connecting Forever Families Act of 2022
Description: This bill authorizes additional funding for the Court Improvement Program, which supports state courts' role in achieving stable, permanent homes for children in foster care.
Sponsors: Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1]
Target Audience
Population: Children currently in foster care
Estimated Size: 391098
- The bill is directly related to children currently in foster care, as it aims to improve state court processes that facilitate their placement into permanent homes.
- The global number of children in foster care provides an estimate of the worldwide target population likely to be impacted by this legislation.
- To effectively measure the US impact, the number of children in foster care in the United States is considered.
- Approximately 2.7 million children are estimated to be in foster care worldwide as a general estimate.
- Various global regions have foster care systems that could potentially benefit from improved court processes if modeled after this US initiative.
Reasoning
- The Connecting Forever Families Act of 2022 primarily targets children in foster care and their caregivers, including foster parents and social workers, as well as legal professionals involved in the foster care processes.
- The policy aims to provide additional support and resources to state courts, which should have a high impact on the legal processing of foster care cases. The direct beneficiaries would be children in the system and the professionals assisting them in finding stable homes.
- The number of children in foster care is substantial, but the program must be efficient due to budget constraints. Not every individual in the foster care system will be affected equally; variations will depend on regional court efficiencies and pre-existing issues.
- It's essential to simulate diverse experiences, including those of foster children, foster parents, social workers, and those indirectly associated with the system to ensure the simulation covers a broad spectrum of the population.
- Some people may not be significantly impacted if their circumstances do not directly involve or benefit from state court improvements.
Simulated Interviews
student (California)
Age: 14 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy helps because moving from one place to another is hard. I want to stay in one home.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
foster parent (Texas)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If the process of adoption becomes smoother, we might consider adopting permanently.
- The current process is daunting and lengthy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
social worker (New York)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Additional funding for courts can speed up placements, which is beneficial.
- Processes are often delayed due to lack of resources in the legal system.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
lawyer (Minnesota)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill could significantly improve the efficiency of court processes.
- Many cases are currently delayed, causing stress to families involved.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
case worker (Virginia)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Resource allocation could better streamline case handling to avoid backlogs.
- We need more support for court-related bottlenecks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
student (Florida)
Age: 10 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like that my new home might be my forever home fast.
- I don't want to move again.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
foster parent (Ohio)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 9.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We have considered adoption, but we give up because the system is too complicated.
- I hope with more efficiency, more kids find a permanent home.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
judge (Georgia)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- With increased funding, more judges can be hired to handle cases efficiently.
- It got really hard to see delays as they affect children directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
foster care program director (Illinois)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Court efficiency often dictates our success in placing children in permanent homes.
- I see this as a significant step in the right direction.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
retired (Oregon)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This enhancement is overdue and can drastically reduce the number of kids in limbo.
- I hope they roll this out efficiently and fairly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $180000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $210000000)
Year 2: $180000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $210000000)
Year 3: $180000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $210000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The policy's success largely depends on the courts' capability to implement changes effectively across states.
- Varied state court system efficiencies may lead to unequal implementation of improvements and benefits.
- The bill does not specify the exact funding amounts, implying flexibility in distribution could affect cost estimates.