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istration and licensing procedures, and to train child care providers. This is a new account for FSA brought about by OBRA 90, and it complements the other FSA-administered child care programs funded under the Family Support payments to States accounts.

We are requesting $1 billion for the JOBS Program. This is the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program. The Family Support Act of 1988 created the JOBS Program to help people move from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency. JOBS provides needy families with a vast array of education, training, employment, and supportive services to avoid long-term dependence on welfare. JOBS represents a refreshing change in the way we view welfare by providing temporary cash assistance while we help people become self-sufficient for the long term.

Fiscal years 1991 and 1992 are critical years for implementation of the JOBS Program. All States have initiated JOBS programs as of October 1, 1990, I am pleased to report, and by October 1, 1992, statewide coverage of those programs is required in most cases.

We are requesting just over $1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, in order to continue our commitment to helping States assist low-income families with high heating or cooling bills. We request that you continue at a level of $100 million the contingency fund that Congress established last year. This energy contingency fund would be available if heating oil prices dramatically increase.

We are requesting $410.6 million for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance Program, which helps refugees and Cuban and Haitian entrants become employed as quickly as possible and during their initial period in the United States helps to offset costs that would otherwise be borne by State and local governments.

We are requesting $10.8 million for the National Youth Sports Program under the community services authorization. This program motivates economically disadvantaged youth to earn and learn self-respect through a program of sports instruction and related services.

We are requesting that funds for the Interim Assistance to States for Legalization Grant Program, which Congress deferred until fiscal year 1992, be rescinded. By the end of fiscal year 1991, $2.4 billion will have been made available to States for this program. To date, States have drawn down only one-half of that amount. The remaining $1.2 billion available to States from current and prior years' appropriations is sufficient to fulfill the purpose for this program.

Finally, we are requesting $87.5 million for the program administration appropriation. This includes $6.5 million for research and evaluation and $81 million for salaries and administrative expenses of Federal staff who oversee the many programs for which we are responsible.

The 1992 request for this appropriation includes an increase of $3.8 million and 17 FTE's above the 1991 level. Mr. Chairman, I sincerely believe that this modest increase is necessary if we are to wisely manage the additional program responsibilities that FSA has been given in the last few years.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, in proposing this budget we have attempted to target those programs that will con

tribute most directly to promoting the goal of self-sufficiency for American families. The Family Support Administration is working hard to insure that we responsibly use this funding to support and assist America's most vulnerable families. We want the JOBS and child care programs to fulfill your expectations for reducing welfare dependency, and we believe that they can.

We are working to be good stewards of grant money that you have made available. Your approval of the President's requested funding levels for our programs and our administrative expenses will provide resources to help us accomplish these goals.

PREPARED STATEMENT

That concludes my formal statement, Mr. Chairman, and I would be pleased to try to answer any questions you or other members of the committee might have at this time.

[The statement follows:]

STATEMENT OF JO ANNE B. BARNHART

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I am pleased to be here to present the President's budget request for the Family Support Administration for fiscal year 1992. The Family Support Administration, as a part of the Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for programs that help some of the most vulnerable people in our society. For example: needy families with a single parent or an unemployed parent, who require public assistance to support their children; low-income families who need help with the cost of child care in order to work; single parents who are unable to make ends meet without financial support from the non-custodial parent; refugees to our shores who need a helping hand to start a new life here; U.S. citizens and their dependents who have to come home from abroad as a result of war, or the threat of war, and are temporarily without money; and, low income families who need help to pay their heating bills.

Funds appropriated by Congress to the Family Support Administration allow State governments, local governments, and other organizations to carry out a variety of programs to help these vulnerable people.

The President's request for the Family Support Administration totals $18.4 billion in budget authority. Let me briefly summarize the programs covered by that request:

We are asking for $15.2 billion for Family Support Payments to States: This account funds several major entitlement programs. The largest of these is Aid to Families with Dependent Children or AFDC which provides cash assistance to low-income families who are not yet self-sufficient. We estimate needing $12.3 billion for this program.

We estimate that we will need $3.2 billion to provide funds for State and local administration of both the AFDC and Child Support Enforcement (CSE) programs and for child support enforcement incentive payments to States. The Child Support Enforcement program helps establish and enforce support orders, providing essential financial assistance to custodial parents. We estimate that we will collect over $1 billion in child support payments on behalf of AFDC recipients that will help to offset federal moneys spent on AFDC payments.

We estimate that we will spend $1 million in fiscal year 1992 to provide repatriation for American citizens and dependents who have returned from foreign countries as a result of illness, destitution or war crises.

Funding for several child care assistance programs are included in this account as well. We estimate that we will need $433 million in fiscal year 1992 for child care for current AFDC recipients who are participating in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills or JOBS program and for former recipients who have left AFDC because of employment or increased earnings and need transitional help with child care expenses.

In addition, we estimate a requirement of $300 million to fund child care for families at risk of becoming AFDC recipients unless they can obtain help to meet child care expenses.

We are requesting close to $745 million for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Child Care Licensing Improvement Grant Programs: These grants to

States are to help low-income working families pay for child care and related services, to improve the availability and quality of child care, to improve child care registration and licensing procedures, and to train child care providers. This is a new account for FSA brought about by OBRA 90 and it complements the other FSA administered Child Care programs funded under the Family Support Payments to States account.

We are requesting $1 billion for the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program (JOBS). The Family Support Act of 1988 created the JOBS program to help people move from welfare dependency to self-sufficiency. JOBS provides needy families with a vast array of education, training, employment, and supportive services to avoid long-term dependence on welfare. JOBS represents a refreshing change in the way we view welfare by providing temporary cash assistance while we help people become self-sufficient. Fiscal years 1991 and 1992 are critical years for implementation of the JOBS program. All States have initiated JOBS programs as of October 1, 1990. By October 1, 1992 Statewide coverage of those programs is required in most cases.

We are requesting just over $1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in order to continue our commitment to helping States assist low-income families with high heating or cooling bills. We request that you continue, at a level of $100 million, the contingency fund Congress established last year. This energy contingency fund would be available if heating oil prices dramatically increase.

We are requesting $410.6 million for the Refugee and Entrant Assistance program which helps refugees and Cuban and Haitian entrants become employed as quickly as possible and, during their initial period in the United States, helps to offset costs that would otherwise be borne by State and local governments.

We are requesting $10.8 million for the National Youth Sports Program under the Community Services authorization. This program motivates economically disadvantaged youth to earn and learn self respect through a program of sports instruction and related services.

We are requesting that funds for the Interim Assistance to States for Legalization grant program which Congress deferred until fiscal year 1992 be rescinded. By the end of fiscal year 1991 $2.4 billion will have been made available to States for this program. To date, States have drawn down only half that amount. The remaining $1.2 billion available to States from current and prior years' appropriations is sufficient to fulfill the purpose for this program.

Finally, we are requesting $87.5 million for the Program Administration appropriation. This includes $6.5 million for research and evaluation and $81 million for salaries and administrative expenses of Federal staff who oversee the many programs we are responsible for. The 1992 request for this appropriation includes an increase of $3,877,000 and 17 FTE's above the 1991 level. I sincerely believe that this modest increase is necessary if we are to wisely manage the additional program responsibilities that FSA has been given in the last few years.

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, in proposing this budget we have attempted to target those programs that will contribute most directly to promoting the goal of self-sufficiency for American families. The Family Support Administration is working hard to ensure that we responsibly use this funding to support and assist America's most vulnerable families. We want the JOBS and child care programs to fulfill your expectations for reducing welfare dependency, and we believe that they can. And, we are working to be good stewards of grant money that you have made available. Your approval of the President's requested funding levels for our programs and our administrative expenses will provide resources to accomplish these goals.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JO ANNE B. BARNHART

Jo Anne B. Barnhart was sworn in April 9, 1990, as assistant secretary for family support, Department of Health and Human Services, after having been nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate.

As assistant secretary for family support, Barnhart directs programs which strengthen the family, particularly low-income families. Major programs administered include Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), this country's largest cash assistance program serving needy families with children, and the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program which provides AFDC families with the opportunity to participate in education, job training and work experience programs. The Child Support Enforcement program, the Refugee and Entrant

Assistance, the Community Services Block Grant and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) programs are administered by Barnhart as well.

Barnhart came to FSA after serving as the Republican staff director for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. In 1986 she worked as a consultant at the White House on the President's welfare reform study.

From 1983-1986, Barnhart served as the associate commissioner for family assistance in the Social Security Administration, HHS. During this period she administered the AFDC and LIHEAP programs. She previously served from 1981-1983 as the deputy associate commissioner for family assistance. She received the HHS Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service and the Commissioner's Citation.

From 1977 to 1981, Barnhart served as a legislative assistant responsible for domestic policy issues for Senator William V. Roth.

Before coming to Washington, D.C., she worked as director, SERVE nutrition program at Wilmington, Del., senior center, and as legislative liaison for the Mental Health Association of Delaware.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Barnhart is a graduate of the University of Delaware. She resides in Arlington, Va., with her husband David and their son, Niles.

REGULATIONS ON CHILD CARE PROGRAMS

Senator HARKIN. Thank you very much, Ms. Barnhart, for your statement. I have a few questions I would like to cover here with you, and then we will have some more for the record.

You know that we consider the job you have of implementing the new child care programs to be very important. It is something that Congress debated at length, and everybody is very interested in this. We got it going this year. As you know, we appropriated funds for it. We have the window of time beginning on September 19 for the obligations.

Where are you now in developing the regulations on this? Will they be finalized in plenty of time to get the program underway on September 19? Can you get the funds out by that time?

Ms. BARNHART. Mr. Chairman, we consider it an important new responsibility, too, and we are absolutely committed to getting this program up and running in the timeframe that Congress has laid out for us. We are working very hard right now on regulations, and we hope to have regulations published by midspring to provide guidance to the States.

In the meantime, we are working on an interim guidance that would provide some information to States that we hope to get out prior to that date. We are sensitive to the fact that State plans have to be submitted prior to the September 9 deadline. Believe me, we have looked ahead at that timeframe and worked backward in terms of the dates toward which we are working to get regulation guidance out to the States.

I would mention, Mr. Chairman, that at the same time we were given responsibility for the new child care and development block grant, we also were given responsibility for the At-Risk Child Care Program, and we were able to issue guidance on that program in late December. We are hoping to follow in the not-too-distant future with guidance on that block grant as well.

Senator HARKIN. So we can be assured that these regulations will be coming out, that the States will have plenty of time to apply and have the approvals completed before September 19?

Ms. BARNHART. That is absolutely our intent, Mr. Chairman, yes. We are particularly sensitive to it because the State plan is in effect for the first 3 years, and so we are working very hard.

Senator HARKIN. May I ask you kind of a policy question about these regulations? Can you tell us how much emphasis you will be putting on child development and quality of care in the bill?

Ms. BARNHART. Right now, Mr. Chairman, we are in the process of identifying the areas in the statute that we believe are in need of specific regulation. It is impossible for me to give you a definite idea of all the things that we are considering because there are many options on the table.

One of the things that we have done, frankly, as you mentioned, is to begin to meet with many of the child care advocacy groups and other special interest groups who were involved in the passage of this legislation to insure that we are getting the full range of opinions on the legislation in terms of both parental choice and the development aspects of the legislation.

I can assure you that we are proceeding with an open mind and trying to identify the areas that we believe are in need of clarification.

PREVENTION FIRST IN CHILD CARE

Senator HARKIN. Speaking for myself, we will be looking at those very closely.

Last week I, along with several other Senators, introduced a package of bills that we call prevention first. We are really going to start focusing on prevention, and I intend to use this subcommittee and the jurisdiction of this subcommittee plus my position on the authorizing committee to do everything I can to start shifting that focus, not just rhetorically but also with money, on prevention.

I made the statement many times to other witnesses who have been here that we are very good at patching and filling and remedying. We are remedial this and remedial that, but if we start early on in life with these children we do not have to worry so much about all the remedies.

In one part of the child care bill that we passed here, everyone focused on child care and creating a healthy environment for a child whose parent or parents are working outside of the home so that child is safe and protected, that type of thing, in a quality care placement, wherever it might be and, of course, with parental choice as to where they want to put their child. I do not think enough focus has been put on the developmental aspects of that child once it is in a child care situation.

We are looking for ways to focus on education, how to begin with early childhood; of course, health care, making sure that all of these kids have preventive health care available to them at the earliest possible time, inoculations, immunizations, that type of thing; and periodic health checkups, to make this an integral part of the whole child care bill. We should not just look at quality of care, that is, having it in a safe place with parental choice. I want another part to this; that is, the development of the child healthwise and education wise.

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