On May 18th, 2023, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)—alongside Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA)—reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act, legislation to protect students from seclusion and restraint discipline practices in school. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would prohibit any school receiving federal taxpayer
On May 17, 2023, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) reintroduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which would create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program. The bill would ensure that every worker, no matter the size of their employer or if they are self-employed or part-time,
The Administration for Children and Families released a new 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Prevention Services Evaluation Partnerships: Building Evidence for Mental Health, Substance Use, In-home Parent Skill-based, and Kinship Navigator Programs and Services. The three-year grants will support evaluations of “programs and services intended to provide enhanced support to children and families,
Each week we draw closer to reaching the debt limit, which Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen has estimated will happen on or about June 1, 2023, just a few weeks from now. On May 9th, President Biden met with Congressional leadership in both the House and the Senate to begin discussing a path forward,
The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Administration (APHSA), have released new resources aimed at improving collaboration between the alcohol and other drug (AOD) and child welfare systems. Research has shown that if left untreated, parental substance use disorders (SUD) can have a
On April 27, 2023, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve recruitment, retention, and support for foster parents. Across the nation, states are facing a growing shortage of appropriate foster placement for children, undermining federal legislation and policy that has pushed to reduce the use of congregate care and
The House passed HR 2, The Secure the Border Act, on Thursday, May 11, 2023, with no Democratic support and with two Republican votes against the bill. HR 2 would require millions of dollars of funds to beef up security at the border, place restrictions on asylum, and restart construction on the controversial wall at
The Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ended on May 11th, 2023. Many of the health policies were changed or extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2023 last December, allowing for more gradual transitions. One item decided in the CAA omnibus was that Medicaid and CHIP redeterminations could begin on April 1st, 2023,
The Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new data brief, “Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy,” on May 8, 2023. The brief examines the experiences of teenagers and young adults in foster care as reported by all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The brief
ZERO TO THREE and Morning Consult released new poll findings showing that the vast majority of parents of infants and toddlers believe that addressing the needs of children and families in the upcoming 2024 federal budget should be a priority. Key poll findings include: Nearly 9 in 10 of parents with infants and toddlers believe