In a complex unanimous decision in the Philadelphia V Fulton case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Catholic Charities’ ability to continue to receive funding through the City of Philadelphia for child welfare services. The opinion that gathered all nine justices in varied configurations would appear to apply mainly to the specific circumstances in that contract and city.
On Thursday, June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge in California v. Texas, led by the state of Texas, to the constitutionality of the ACA. The strong 7 to 2 vote rejected the standing of the states to bring the case but also rejected several arguments made to strike down the entire ACA
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF), and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs will all be reduced by 5.7 percent this coming year due to sequestration. The ten-year Budget Control Act of 2011 that set up budget caps from 2011 to 2021 included a
Last week the House Budget Committee moved on a budget or “deeming” resolution that will allow the House to proceed on their twelve appropriations bills. It is not a joint budget resolution that would require adoption by the Senate and would establish a reconciliation procedure. That action will likely wait for later this summer.
Last week, Chapin Hall and Howard University released a new study, Untold Stories: Young adult & racial dimensions of COVID-19. The report examines previously untold stories of the pandemic among young people, focusing particularly on food and housing insecurity, mental health, and the racial dimensions of those adversities. The researchers analyzed a large, nationally representative
The Biden Administration will release its first full budget on Thursday, May 27, 2021. The release of the budget fills in the blanks from the broad overview the Administration released on April 9. That document included the allocation between domestic (non-defense) spending at $769 billion and defense spending at $753 billion. That amounts to a
On May 12, 2021, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support held a hearing on "Making a Difference for Families and Foster Youth." The hearing was intended as a review of potential updates and changes to the two Title IV-B programs for reauthorization later this year. CWLA submitted testimony for the record
On Wednesday, May 19, 2021, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing, “Picking up the Pieces: Strengthening Connections with Students Experiencing Homelessness and Children in Foster Care.” The witnesses included Ms. Jennifer Erb-Downward, Senior Research Associate, Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan,
The nonprofit, Understood, that focuses on programs for families, educators, and young adults to better address learning and workplace disabilities released a survey last week that indicates that in the remote learning environment, nearly three-quarters (72%) of parents have become aware or noticed their children (with learning and thinking differences) have fallen behind during the
In submitting our testimony to the House Subcommittee on Family and Worker Support this is what we said about education issues: As we emerge from the pandemic, assessments will need to be made of the current and long-term impact of this crisis on every child’s education goals and attainment. This is especially true of