Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Danny Davis (IL-07) – Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare – penned an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune highlighting the generational impact that the Supporting America’s Families and Children Act will have for decades to come.
Chicago Tribune
By U.S. Representatives Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Danny Davis (IL-07)
February 20, 2025
Every child deserves a chance to thrive, and as leaders, it is our responsibility to develop policies that help families provide the safety, stability and support needed to give them that chance. By putting our children on a path to success, we strengthen families, vitalize communities and secure the future of our nation. In an overwhelming display of bipartisan unity, Congress late last year passed — and President Joe Biden signed into law — the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, our bill that takes a critical step forward for improving child welfare in the United States.
This act, which incorporates policies from 16 pieces of legislation from both Republicans and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, represents the most comprehensive reauthorization and modernization of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act in more than 15 years. It directly addresses the critical needs of the approximately 370,000 children currently in foster care and countless families at risk of separation. At its core, this act reflects a shared commitment by Republicans and Democrats alike to enact federal policy strengthening families, supporting caregivers, and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe and loving home.
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The bipartisan commitment of the Ways and Means Work and Welfare Subcommittee has been instrumental in driving this product through the legislative process. During the last Congress, the subcommittee held 10 hearings, highlighting myriad key topics in the subcommittee’s jurisdiction, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, kinship care, child support enforcement, unemployment insurance, and support of youths aging out of the foster care system. Last April, the subcommittee took its work outside of Washington and held a field hearing titled “The Dignity of Work” at Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, where witnesses highlighted the value of work in lifting individuals and families out of poverty and the important role that wraparound support can have in helping individuals overcome barriers.
This was the first-ever House committee hearing held in a homeless shelter. We share a goal to support work to help individuals escape poverty to promote community and social connectedness and stability. As proud Illinoisans, we were honored to showcase to our Washington colleagues what Midwest sensibility can achieve, and our visits to Project HOOD and Pacific Garden served as a reminder to us all how our civic duty affects real individuals and families. This collaborative spirit served as a driving force behind our efforts to ensure that child welfare policies prioritize family and economic well-being.
As the primary sponsors of the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, we are immensely proud of the bipartisan collaboration that brought it to fruition. This law reflects what we heard from listening to the lived experience of youths, families and advocates to understand what policies were needed and how we could make meaningful change, and it is a testament to what can be achieved when we put aside partisan differences and focus on the needs of America’s most vulnerable.
The full text of the op-ed can be found HERE.
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