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E-Alert: February 15, 2010
Senate confirms key HHS appointment
On February 12, 2010, the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Bryan Hayes Samuels as Commissioner on Children, Youth and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Samuels was nominated on June 24, 2009 by President Obama to serve in this leadership position. Among his new responsibilities, Mr. Samuels must manage the work of the Children's Bureau, which includes partnering with state and local agencies to effectively develop and oversee child welfare policies and programs. The Children's Bureau has primary responsibility of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
Mr. Samuels stated, during his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, that his first priority as Commissioner will be 'effective implementation of Fostering Connections:'
"If confirmed, my first priority as Commissioner will be to ensure effective implementation of Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, which I know this Committee was instrumental in enacting. I believe successful implementation of the Act will provide a valuable opportunity to improve the child welfare system's focus on child and family well-being - the long-term measure of success - as well as on the safety of children. The comprehensive nature of the Act gives me great confidence that we can do more to ensure that the children in the system have better lifetime outcomes."
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