On September 28, 2023, it was announced by the White House that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final regulation that will allow states to simplify the licensing process for kinship caregivers to become foster care providers and require that states provide these kinship caregivers with the same financial support that any other
On Thursday, September 28, 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to support children and families in foster care. These actions include releasing three regulations to strengthen services and supports for children and families in the child welfare system. Final Rule: Support kinship caregivers – family members and loved ones who step forward to care
The United States Department of Labor released its annual report on international child labor and hosted an event to launch it. Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee opened the event by talking about the state of the child labor in the world today. It’s a growing issue, driven by the changes in the international
Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund released a new report on September 29, 2023, highlighting the impact of state gun laws over a 20 year span in preventing firearm suicide. The report, entitled “Two Decades of Suicide Prevention Laws: Lessons from National Leaders on Gun Safety Policy,” shows that from 1999 to 2022, rates of
The National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council and the Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (CICW) hosted a webinar, “Supporting Immigrant Youth & Children in Foster Care: Priorities from Lived Experience Leaders and Best Practices to Support.” The team developed priorities based on a survey they conducted with immigrant foster youth and people
This week, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Housing Alignment and Coordination of Critical and Effective Supportive Health Services (ACCESS) Act. The legislation would align housing and services for people experiencing chronic homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization. In sum, the bill aims to make Medicaid services work better with housing.
Trust for America’s Health hosted a webinar to discuss the epidemics of alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths in 2023. Panelists, Debra Houry, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at CDC, Shairi Turner MD, MPH, Crisis Text Line, Shelby Rowe, Executive Director at of the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC),
On September 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded $20 million to launch the first-ever National Center for Child Welfare Competent Mental Health Services (the Center). As part of HHS’ Roadmap for Behavioral Health Integration, this investment is one of many ways
On September 26th, 2023, SchoolHouse Connection hosted a webinar about the expiration of this one-time funding in September 2024. Daniel Espinosa of the Learning Policy Institute and Barbara Duffield the executive director of SchoolHouse Connection, shared statistics, barriers to support, and alerted new letter of guidance for how states should use their remaining American Rescue
On September 27, 2023, ZERO TO THREE released the State of Babies Yearbook: 2023. This resource is a blueprint for transformation to put our nation on the path towards a comprehensive infant-toddler agenda. The Yearbook identifies five imperatives where urgent action is needed at the federal level: maternal health, infant and early childhood mental health