Hatch, Wyden to Hold Hearing on Evidence-Based Delivery and Funding for Social Welfare Programs

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) today announced a hearing to examine the role of outcomes and evidence standards in shaping social policies and how they can be best applied to program delivery and financing models.The hearing, titled “Can Evidence Based Practices Improve Outcomes for Vulnerable Individuals and Families?,” will take place on Tuesday, May 10th, in Room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 10:00 a.m.

“Over the past several years, evidence-based models have become increasingly popular methods of delivering and financing a number of federal programs,” Hatch and Wyden said. “As Congress continues to look for ways to deliver the most effective social services in the most efficient manner possible, we should continue to examine how models with clear evidence standards could help vulnerable families and at-risk individuals. These delivery and funding models can reduce bureaucracy, enable local leaders to inject private sector creativity into social services, and ensure taxpayer dollars are only used when an intervention successfully achieves its desired outcome. That said, many questions and challenges remain when it comes to applying evidence standards to the social welfare space. With this hearing, members of the Committee will have the opportunity to explore the barriers and opportunities presented by an evidence-based approach to human services programs and policies.”

The following witnesses are scheduled to testify:

·         Mr. Gordon L. Berlin, President, MDRC, New York, NY
·         Mr. James Lee Sorenson, Chairman, Board of Directors, Sorenson Impact Foundation, Salt Lake City, UT
·         Ms. Tesha Bright, Nurse Home Visitor, Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) of Essex and Morris Counties, Newark, NJ
·         Mr. Robert Doar, former New York City Human Resources Administration Commissioner and current Morgridge Fellow in Poverty Studies, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, DC

Who:   Senate Finance Committee

What:   Hearing on Evidence-Based Delivery and Funding for Social Welfare Programs

Where:   215 Dirksen Senate Office Building
   Washington, D.C. 20510
When:   Tuesday, May 10, 2016
   10:00 a.m.

For media inquiries and additional information, including webcast and testimony details, please visit: http://finance.senate.gov/hearings.

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