Action Needed on Bill to Provide
Loan Forgiveness for Social Workers Who Choose Child Welfare
April 1, 2005
THE ISSUE AT HAND
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), who introduced the Child Protective
Services Student Loan Forgiveness Act during the last Congress,
reintroduced the bill in January. It has a new bill number—HR
127, but the provisions have not changed.
The bill authorizes the Secretary of Education to create a
demonstration program designed to bring more highly trained
individuals into the child welfare system and keep them in
the field for longer periods of time. Only students who obtain
either a BSW or MSW and are employed in a state child welfare
agency, or public or private agency under contract with the
state, would be eligible. Loan forgiveness would begin
in the third year of employment.
Funding for the program is authorized at $20 million. However,
even If the program becomes law, Congress would have to take
additional action to fund the program through the appropriations
process.
NASW POSITION
NASW provided input on HR 127 and similar bills introduced
in the both the 107 th and 108 th Congresses, but it was the
strong advocacy by social workers in Ohio that resulted in
Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones' (D-OH) sponsorship. While
the bill does not address the needs of all social workers,
or even all social workers in child welfare (i.e. those who
are already in the system), it is a beginning. While supporting
this bill, NASW is continuing to work on creating similar benefits
for social workers in other fields of practice and with existing
loans.
For a summary of HR 127 and additional information on loan
forgiveness, see NASW's loan forgiveness advocacy page: http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/loanForgiveness.asp
TIMING
The bill is designed to be incorporated into the Higher Education
Act (HEA), which was due to be reauthorized in 2003. Little
action occurred that year, but the House did pass legislation
last year. However since there was no action by the Senate,
current law was extended. It is not clear yet when or even
if Congress will complete action on the HEA reauthorization
this year, but it is critical to build support for HR 127 in
whatever time is available.
ACTION NEEDED
Due to the lack of bipartisan support for the Jones bill
in the last Congress, it was never seriously considered during
the debate on HEA in the House. In order to raise the profile
of the bill, more work needs to be done to get cosponsors from
both parties, but especially Republicans.
Even if you contacted your Representative last year, now
is the time to do it again. This is a new Congress and a new
bill—cosponsors do not carry over from one Congress to the
next.
- If your Representative is not among the cosponsors
listed below, urge them to become cosponsors.
A sample letter has been posted on NASW's
Congress Web to email or fax to your Representative.
Cosponsors of HR 127 as of 03/30/05: 24 (All Democrats)
- Julia Carson (D-IN)
- Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
- Gene Green (D-TX)
- Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
- Rush Holt (D-NJ)
- Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
- Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
- Dale Kildee (D-MI)
- Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
- Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Betty McCollum (D-MN)
- Jim McDermott (D-WA)
- Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
- Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-CA)
- Dennis Moore (D-KS)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
- Major Owens (D-NY)
- Donald Payne (D-NJ)
- Bobby Rush (D-IL)
- Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
- Diane Watson (D-CA)
- Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
(2) If your Representative is one of the cosponsors, thank
them for their support.
A sample phone message follows. All Members can be reached
through the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121. Individual
telephone numbers are available through NASW's Congress Web: www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp
Sample Phone Message – For COSPONSORS
My name is ________________ from _________________ (city,
state). As a constituent, professional social worker,
and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I
am calling to thank Representative ____________ (last name)
for cosponsoring the Child Protective Services Student Loan
Forgiveness Act (HR 127).
This legislation addresses a critical part of the ongoing
crisis in child welfare agencies around the country. High
vacancy and turnover rates are having a negative impact on
outcomes for our most vulnerable children and families. Recruiting
and retaining better-qualified professionals will help to improve
those outcomes.
I appreciate the Representative's support. Thank you.
BACKGROUND
This legislation builds on a loan forgiveness program created
under the Perkins loan program in the Higher Education Act
(HEA) Amendments of 1992. The Perkins program is targeted
toward teachers. However, a number of other disciplines
are also eligible, including “full-time qualified professional
providers (including social workers) of early intervention
services (as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act) in a public or other nonprofit program under public supervision” and “full-time
employees of an eligible public or private nonprofit child
or family service agency who is providing or supervising the
provision of services to both high-risk children (including
those at risk of abuse or neglect) who are from low-income
communities and the families of such children.” For qualifying
loans made on or after July 23, 1992, 15 percent is forgiven
for the first two years of full-time employment, 20 percent
for the third and fourth years, and 30 percent for the fifth
year.
Several problems have been documented with the 1992 program
that hamper social workers' access, including the targeting
of teachers, lack of adequate funding, and poor publicity by
the U.S. Department of Education and individual colleges and
universities.
The Child Protective Services Student Loan Forgiveness Act
seeks to remedy some of those problems. First, eligibility
is limited to degreed social workers who work in child welfare
and second, the Department of Education is directed to provide
information on the program on its website and to colleges and
universities.
For information on additional loan forgiveness programs available
to social workers, see NASW's loan forgiveness advocacy page
: http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/loanForgiveness.asp
AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY !
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