Hot Topic: Mental Health Reform
Congress must pass legislation that addresses barriers to mental health care for youth and their families, including maternal mental health care, services and prevention for children and adolescents, Medicaid reform, and bolstering the workforce.
Maternal mental
Discriminatory Transgender Health Bills Have Critical Consequences for Youth
A new Child Trends brief describes the harm inflicted upon gender-diverse children and youth when policies deny them access to gender-affirming care and supportive environments. Gender-affirming care provides developmentally appropriate supports to gender-diverse children
Distraught Over Governor’s Directive for Parents of Trans Youth, Texas Child Welfare Workers are Resigning
On April 11, 2022, KHOU in Texas published an article detailing new ramifications of Governor Greg Abbotts’ directive that the Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents of transgender children: employee resignations.
“More than
Representatives Featured in Webinar about Ending Child Poverty
On April 12th, 2022, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group and GRACE & End Child Poverty California campaign hosted a webinar entitled ‘Ending Child Poverty at the Federal and State Level.’ This webinar focused
Child Welfare Administrator Focus Group on Collecting SOGI Data for Youth in Foster Care
Mathematica is conducting focus groups to explore sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection for youth in foster care and foster/adoptive parents. The study is being conducted on behalf of the Office of the
House Hearing on H.R. 7236 – Strengthen Kids’ Mental Health Now Act
Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on several important bills, including H.R. 7236, the Strengthening Kids’ Mental Health Now Act.
If enacted, H.R. 7236 would expand the
Call for Information: Practices that Support Family Economic Wellbeing
The Supporting Family Economic Well-Being Through Home Visiting (HomeEc) project is identifying promising practices supporting family economic well-being that hold potential for inclusion in home visiting programs; the project is soliciting nominations of practices
Town Hall with Associate Commissioner Aysha Schomburg
On Monday, March 28th, 2022, Think of Us hosted a Town Hall with the Children’s Bureau. Speakers included representatives of the Administration, Aysha E. Schomburg, Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau, and people with
Senate and House Committees Hold Budget Hearings
Last week a series of hearings were held about the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget. The House Budget Committee, The Senate Budget Committee, and House Appropriation Committee members expressed multiple concerns about COVID
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Through this collaboration, prevention services and supports help protect children and produce
SAMHSA Blog: LGBTQI+ Youth – Like All Americans, They Deserve Evidence-Based Care
Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Miriam Delphin-Rittmon writes: “As a clinical psychologist, academician, and government leader, I have focused on ensuring that mental health care services and policies are culturally responsive, evidence-based
Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Cutting Child Care Costs
On Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022 the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing entitled ‘Child Care and Preschool: Cutting Costs for Working Families.’ The hearing centered around how to provide affordable childcare to families. Chairwoman
Senate HELP Hosts Second Hearing on Behavioral Health
On Wednesday March 23rd, 2022, Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) led the Senate HELP Committee’s hearing: “Strengthening Federal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Programs: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Issues.” The Committee members and witnesses
Child Poverty Remains Elevated After Expanded Child Tax Credit Expired: February Report
The Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University has released its newest monthly report on child poverty, finding that 3.4 million more children were in poverty in February 2022 than in December
Gender-Affirming Care is Trauma-Informed Care: Resource
February 2022
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) recently released “Gender-Affirming Care is Trauma-Informed Care,” a new fact sheet that defines gender-affirming care, describes approaches for supporting trans, gender-diverse, and intersex (TGI) youth, and
A Third of Trans Youth At Risk of Losing Gender-Affirming Care: Study
Attempts to ban transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care are putting tens of thousands of young people at risk. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law reported that “more than 54,000
Home Visiting Program Reauthorization
On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on “Improving Family Outcomes Through Home Visiting.”
Several panelists focused their testimony on the personal
“Unwinding” Medicaid: Impending End of the Public Health Emergency
On Tuesday March 2nd, Georgetown University held a Lunch and Learn surrounding COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Implication for Medicaid Coverage for MCH Populations.
Panelists:
- Joan Alker, Executive Director and Co-Founder of University of Georgetown, University
Congress Passes Appropriations Omnibus
The final appropriations for FY 2022 sharply reduced the significant increases in children’s and child welfare programs compared to what the House had adopted last July. Many of the House increases had adopted the
Texas Judge Temporarily Blocks Investigations into Parents of Trans Children
District Judge Amy Clark Meachum ruled Friday, March 11, 2022 that providing gender-affirming care is not a reason for the state to investigate a family for child abuse, and halted all
Blunt, Stabenow, Lawrence Urge HHS to Ensure Children in Foster Care Have Access to Mental Health Services
On Monday, March 8, 2022, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), along with U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter to the U.S. Department of Health and
USCIS Released New Guidance to Shore Up Juvenile Immigrant Program
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a statement on March 7, 2022, that it will consider granting deferred action to minors awaiting green cards through their Special Immigrant Juvenile Status but who can’t obtain
New Survey Highlights Importance of Renewing Child Nutrition Waivers
In November 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) conducted the School Food Authority (SFA) Survey on Supply Chain Disruptions to better understand the impact on school nutrition programs.
The survey
American Rescue Plan One Year Anniversary Event
On Tuesday, March 8, 2022, the White House Office of Public Engagement hosted a webinar on the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan, highlighting the role of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income
The State of the Union Address
On Tuesday, March 1, 2020, President Biden gave his State of the Union address. CWLA agrees with many of the ambitious goals President Joe Biden highlighted in his State of the Union address. Specifically,