Policy & Practice June 2015

confusion as to what that means. In all, there is little commentary about how to improve the ability of individuals or families to become self-sufficient. This is true not just at the federal level, but at the state level as well, at least as far as state legislatures are concerned. Congressional Quarterly (CQ) recently conducted a study of what issues were receiving the most attention in each state legislature. 10 CQ interviewed journalists who cover their state capitols to see what issues were on the minds of legislators. Not surprisingly, budget issues led the list, named as the single-largest issue in no fewer than 10 states. Education was ranked number one eight times, followed by transportation and taxes, both five times. On the list of issues that were mentioned as somewhere in the top five, social services was mentioned just twice, the same as guns, liquor, gambling, and privacy, among others. This, of course, is not to say that state governments are not concerned about reform in human services, many governors and human service depart- ments are experimenting in various ways to improve and reform human service delivery. 11 Of course, many of these efforts are constrained in their impact because they must be done within the silos established by federal programs and state laws that mirror the federal system. This limits the degree to which reforms can be tested, and consequently, the outcomes of testing new approaches. This is one reason that our members support more opportunities for federally sup- ported innovation demonstrations, where evidence-informed practices can be tested across programs and funding streams. There are signs within Congress that progress toward understanding the need for a delivery system that can better respond to local conditions and demands is taking hold. While giving states more flexibility is not a panacea for what reforms are needed, it is an important and necessary step in the right direction. For example, when the House Budget Committee reported the FY 2016 Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, strong language was added to the committee report stating:

Our budget realigns the relationship the federal government has with states and local communities by respecting and restoring the principle of federalism. It streamlines federal programs and turns the focus of Washington back to its core responsibilities, all the while giving states ownership and flexibility to better serve their constituents. From health care to education, states will be empow- ered to create their own solutions, free of onerous Washington mandates or overregulation. These reforms will save money, but, more importantly, by finding more effective means to address challenges, states and local leaders will have the power to actually solve them, thereby increasing choices and opportu- nities for Americans. 12 It is true that the House Budget proposal is controversial and that many of the policies contained within it are opposed by a number of members of Congress and the President. However, on the narrow issue of giving states a larger role in determining how best to provide struc- ture in the delivery of human services, there hasn’t been open opposition. The Ranking Member of the Budget Committee, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), while outlining the provisions of the budget he strongly disagreed with, made no mention about the efforts to give states more flexibility. 13 Time will tell if Congress is able to make the kind of alignments and changes in federal law that will empower states to fully make the changes they know are needed to ensure that dollars are being spent in ways that achieve the kind of lasting outcomes for children and families that strengthen communities and ulti- mately reduce reliance on government services. The key is to look for oppor- tunities to showcase the successes occurring in states and localities, and assure that the discussion includes those who are leading these efforts on the ground. At APHSA, we’re com- mitted to doing just that. Reference Notes 1. http://www.heritage.org/research/ reports/2015/03/7-priorities-for-the-2016- congressional-budget-resolution 2. http://www.urban.org/projects/ newsafetynet/index.cfm

3. http://www.childrensdefense.org/library/ PovertyReport/EndingChildPovertyNow. html 4. “Age 16 welfare reform shows that critics were right. The poor, children included, are being hurt.” Meteor Blades (Timothy Lange), Daily Kos, March 14, 2012 5. Committee on the Budget, House Report 104-651, 104th Congress 2nd Session, June 27, 1996. http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/pkg/CRPT-104hrpt651/pdf/CRPT- 104hrpt651.pdf 6. Press release by Senator Jeff Sessions, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Budget Committee . http://www.budget.senate. gov/republican/public/index.cfm/files/ serve/?File_id=34919307-6286-47ab- b114-2fd5bcedfeb5 7. House Report 114-47 to Accompany H. Con. Res. 27, Establishing the Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 through 2025. https://www. congress.gov/114/crpt/hrpt47/CRPT- 114hrpt47.pdf 8. Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives letter to Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs and the Committee on House Administration, January 21, 2015. http:// waysandmeans.house.gov/uploadedfiles/ oversight_lettier_114th.pdf 9. S. Con Res 11 . https://www.congress.gov/ bill/114th-congress/senate-concurrent-reso lution/11?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B %22concurrent+budget+resolution%22% 5D%7D and H. Con. Res. 31. 10. Congressional Quarterly/CQ-Roll Call, “The 50 State Project: A report on the top state issues of 2015 by the reporters who cover them.” March 2015. http:// info.cqrollcall.com/rs/cqrc/images/50_ StateProject_MAR2015.pdf?mkt_tok=3Rk MMJWWfF9wsRoisq7KZKXonjHpfsX64%2 BokW6K0lMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4FTMRr I%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTbbBMbhh2bgPUx M%3D 11. “Lessons Learned from System Reform Efforts: State and Local Examples,” Child Welfare Information Gateway. https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/ management/reform/lessons/state/ America, House Budget Committee, March 2015. http://budget.house.gov/ uploadedfiles/fy16budget.pdf 13. “Top Reasons to Oppose the House Republican “Work Harder, Get Less” Budget,” Budget Committee Democrats. http://democrats.budget.house.gov/ 12. A Balanced Budget for a Stronger

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June 2015   Policy&Practice