House Appropriations Final Bill Has Big Victory for CB-CAP
Last month, when the House of Representatives approved a four-bill appropriations package that included appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services (by a vote of 226-to 203) they included an important improvement for
Budget Increasingly the Big Issue of Summer 2019
With time running short, it is looking more and more likely that the hot topic of July through September will be the FY 2020 budget. That budget debate now involves funding levels for the upcoming
Supreme Court to Rule on DACA Next Term
On June 28, 2019 the Supreme Court announced that it will take up a legal challenge to the Obama Executive Order that created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) protections. The Court announcement came
New Serious Threat to ACA
On Tuesday, July 9, 2019 the 5th Circuit’s U.S. Court of Appeals heard arguments to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. Twenty states, led by Republican governors and attorneys general, have been
Using Telemedicine for Mental Health
On Wednesday, June 10, 2019 the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDPA) and the Western Regional Children’s Advocacy Center conducted a webinar “Tele-Mental Health: The Clinician’s Perspective” to discuss the need for web-based
Congress Oks $4.6 Billion in Border Relief, Not Without Divisions
Congress gave final approval to a border funding bill totaling approximately $4.6 billion negotiated between Senate Republicans and Democrats. The final bill approved in the House by a vote of 305 to 102 included a
Congressperson Bass Introduces Bill to Assist Child Welfare Data Systems for Implementation of AFCARS Update
On Monday, June 24, Congressperson Bass (D-CA) introduced the Child Welfare Data Modernization Act, HR 3438, which would provide temporary federal funds with a match of 75 percent for states, tribes, and territories child welfare
Appropriations House Finishes 10 Bills, Senate May Act Without White House Deal
The House of Representatives completed action on the Financial Services bill on Thursday. That makes 10 of 12 bills approved before the July 4th break. The remaining two include the Legislative Branch and Homeland Security.
Independent Living Options for Youth in States with Approval to Extend Care
On June 20, HHS released the latest Foster Care GAO report for Congress, States with Approval to Extend Care Provide Independent Living Options for Youth up to Age 21. Since 2008 when the Fostering
Other Actions on Immigration
Last week the Child Welfare League of America endorsed and signed onto a national letter of support for two bills by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) that would extend
Counting All Children in the 2020 Census
The Constitution requires an accurate count of the nation’s population-–a census–every ten years. Unfortunately, the 2010 census missed more than 10 percent of young children, about 2.2 million children, age four or younger. Unless we
State Department Releases World Trafficking Report
The State Department has released its annual Trafficking in Persons Report: June 2019 (TIP Report). The annual report examines each country through the world and reviews conditions around human trafficking, including sex trafficking and
Do No Harm: Protecting Individuals from Discrimination
On Tuesday, June 25, the Education and Labor Committee held a hearing titled “Do No Harm: Examining the Misapplication of the ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act.’” The hearing was a review of recent cases involving the
Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy
On June 24, the Future of the Middle Class Initiative at the Brookings Institution held an event Improving Opportunity Through Access to Family Planning. The event was based on the recent Brookings report
State Snapshot on Child Care Funding in America
Child Care Aware of America released their 2019 report CCDBG: 2019 State Snapshots. This report analyzes each state’s use of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), one of the most important subsidies
Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse Ratings for the First 10 Programs and Services
On Thursday, June 20, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released the first ten Prevention Services Clearinghouse rated programs and services that received well-supported, supported, promising, or does not currently meet the criteria for
Bipartisan Senate Treatment Foster Care Bill Introduced in Senate
On Tuesday, June 18, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WS) and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) reintroduced the Treatment Family Care Services Act.
Under Therapeutic Foster Care, foster parents –and increasing other care givers including relative care givers and
Immigration Issues Boiling Again
Immigration was heating up again last week from its slow boil to full steam on two fronts. The President created tremendous anxiety with the advocacy and certainly the immigration communities when he tweeted his desire
Appropriations Update: White House Deal Still Pending
After a joint meeting on Wednesday, June 19 congressional leaders and the White House were no closer to an overall budget deal than they have been over the last several months. Unlike previous meetings this
Ways and Means Committee Passes New Tax Package, EITC & Child Care Expanded
On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee passed a series of tax bills designed to expand current tax benefits for a number of low and middle income families and individuals. The Economic Mobility Act
Every Child Deserves A Family Act
On June 5, Representatives John Lewis (D-GA) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) introduced HR 3114 – Every Child Deserves A Family Act and on June 13, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced S 1791, the
Congressman Wenstrup Introduces Legislation Mirroring Senator Brown/Stabenow Family First Transition Support Act
Members of Congress in both the Senate and the House are interested in providing states with additional resources and support to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First). The Family First Transition and
CWLA Submits Comments on AFCARS
Last week, CWLA submitted our comments on the implementation of an Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) update. The Administration had frozen the 2016 final rule that updated AFCARS data requirements.
SAMSHA Best Practices in Prescribing Antipsychotics
On Wednesday, June 19, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hosted a webinar on “Implementation of Models to Support Best Practice Prescribing Antipsychotics: SAMHSA Initiatives”. Justine Larson, MD, MPH, MHS for the Substance Abuse
Celebrating Fathers and Families
On June 11, the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee held a Congressional Hearing Celebrating Fathers and Families: Federal Support for Responsible Fatherhood to discuss increased federal support for fatherhood