U.S. House Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.
2358-C Rayburn House Office Building
Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member DeLauro, and Members of the Subcommittee:
My name is Brad Galbraith, and I serve as Policy Director at the Center for the Rights of Abused Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a lifeline for abused and neglected children. The Center offers pro bono legal representation in abuse and neglect proceedings, advocates for stronger child protection laws, and defends children’s constitutional rights through public interest litigation. Our legal and policy work has impacted more than one million children across the United States.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony for the record. I respectfully urge the Subcommittee to include report language in the FY2026 appropriations bill directing the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to further address the crisis of missing children in foster care. Specifically, ACF should issue guidance to child welfare agencies on the prompt reporting of missing children and establish consistent, comprehensive national data collection on this issue. These steps are essential to closing dangerous gaps that leave children vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Read more here: Written Testimony_U.S. Subcommittee_4.9.25