Senate Committee Looking for Recommendations on Mental Health Substance Use Issues
On September 21,2021 the Senate Finance Committee asked the public for their comments on ways to address substance use and mental health services. In the letter Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike
Strategies to Improve Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care
In drafting comments on how we can improve behavior health services for children, youth, and their families (especially child welfare) there are some important sources of recommendations
Earlier this year, Child Trends issued: A National
Bipartisan House Group Unveils Agenda: Substance Use and Mental Health
On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the House of Representative Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force Announced a 2021 Legislative Agenda. According to the group led by Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),
US Education Department to Fix Public Service Loan Forgiveness
On Friday, October 1, 2021, National Public Radio (NPR) had an exclusive report that the U.S. Department of Education is about to offer a fix of a troubled loan forgiveness program which was supposed to
Congressperson Bass to Exit House for Mayor’s Race
On Monday, September 27, 2021, Congressperson Karen Bass (D-CA), co-chair of the House Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, announced she would be leaving Congress to run for Mayor of Los Angeles. The primary for that
Davis-Walorsky Commit to Helping Foster Youth
When the CR was passed last Thursday, it did not extend pandemic relief funding for youth exiting foster care including additional $400 million in Chafee-pandemic relief funding (annual mandatory Chaffee funds are set at $143
IMD-Fix for QRTP Bill Introduced in House
A House companion bill to address the IMD/QRTP issue was introduced in the House on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. The bill H.R. 5414, is the same as the Senate version (S. 2689) with Congressman
November is National Adoption Month
November is national adoption month. This year’s theme is “Every Conversation Matters”, which means engaging youth in permanency plans through open conversations about adoption. As Adoption Month approaches, the Children’s Bureau kickstarted the conversation by
How New Data Shows a Pathway for Poverty
On September 28, 2021, First Focus on Children and the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group held a webinar to examine what the new US Census Bureau data tells us about the impact of COVID-19 on
Empowering the Child Welfare Workforce and its Emerging Leaders
On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI) and the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) presented a panel to discuss Empowering the Child Welfare Workforce and its Emerging Leaders. The
The Lived-Experience Of The Child Welfare Workforce
On September 18, the Concord Monitor published a story about the child welfare workforce that is probably too typical of several state and local child welfare workforce situations. The workforce is vital to any successful
Economists, Business Leaders, House Members Call For Child Care Reconciliation
As the reconciliation bill is fought over, several prominent groups are weighing in support of a major expansion of child care as part of the final reconciliation. In the past two weeks, more than 120
ACA Open Enrollment Expanded for 2022
On Friday, September 17, 2021, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an expanded open enrollment period for people signing up for or renewing their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Consumers
CWLA Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15th marks the first day of National Hispanic Heritage Month! Hispanic Heritage Month began as a mere week in 1968 when Congressman George E. Brown of East Los Angeles, California, proposed the celebration to
Foster Care Entry Rates Grew Faster for Infants than for Children of Other Ages
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released a new report, Foster Care Entry Rates Grew Faster for Infants than for Children of Other Ages, 2011-2018, that found that infants accounted
Ways and Means Committee Carries Biggest Parts of Reconciliation
Last week the House Ways and Means Committee released and then worked on perhaps the biggest parts of reconciliation and the Biden Administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda when they published the
CTC and Child Welfare
An important provision in the House Committee version of the CTC allows some flexibility for both birth parents and foster parents. A parent can still receive the CTC for temporary absences “under the facts and
400 Economists Endorse CTC Extension
On Wednesday, 15, 2021, over 400 prominent economists outlined their strong support for a permanent extension of the CTC. In part they said:
Continuing Resolution Coming
While Congress continues to wrestle with a reconciliation package, they also must deal with the start of the fiscal year 2022 on October 1, 2021. Aside from the reconciliation, which doesn’t
Family and Medical Paid Leave
An earlier piece of reconciliation adopted through the House Ways and Means Committee is the creation of a paid family and medical leave program. The version
Title IV-E Funding for Family-Based Substance Use Disorders Facilities
ASPE released a new brief, How Some States Use Title IV-E Foster Care Funding for Family-based Facilities that Treat Substance Use Disorders, highlighting four states, California, Minnesota, Montana, and Utah. The Family First Prevention
Planning Title IV-E Prevention Services: A Toolkit for States
Mathematica Planning Title IV-E Prevention Services: A Toolkit for States includes a section on Identifying and Engaging Partners in implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). With states at various stages of successfully
Helping Foster Youth Transition to Adulthood
On September 13, 2021, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) event, On Their Own Two Feet: Helping Foster Youth Transition to Adulthood, examined how to improve outcomes for young adults in the child welfare system.
The
Child Advocates Call on Congress to Extend Chafee (Pandemic Relief Funding)
On Thursday, September 9, 2021, the National Foster Youth Institute (NFYI) hosted a Congressional Briefing with Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth Co-chair, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI). Kenneth Chancey, Policy Manager