The Century Foundation released a commentary on ONDCP’s report about maternal health and substance use disorder on January 13th, 2023, noting that “the increasing criminalization of substance use in pregnancy disproportionately affects Black pregnant and postpartum people,” and makes recommendations for Congress to act. From the commentary: “Due to systemic racism and inequality, Black birthing
On January 27, 2023, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) hosted a national briefing to provide awareness regarding resources to assist states, organizations, and child welfare workers in responding to concerns of child trafficking. The briefing reviewed the Information Memorandum released on December 1, 2022 by the ACF in preparation for National Human Trafficking
The Urban Institute released “Four Ways to Better Support Young Adults Transitioning out of Foster Care” on January 26, 2023. The article examines the intent and outcomes of the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood, known as Chafee, which was signed into law in 1999 and provides support to assist
On January 23, 2023, the Children’s Equity Project partnered with the Bipartisan Policy Center and Start Early to host part one of their three-part webinar series concerning the impact of the Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships (EHS-CCPs), titled “Building Supply, Enhancing Quality, and Advancing Equity.” Shantel Meek, the Founding Director of the Children’s Equity
A new study in NEJM concludes that trans and nonbinary teenagers who receive gender-affirming hormones experience less depression and anxiety and more satisfaction with life than before the treatment. This new study adds to a substantial body of research that shows gender-affirming care improves mental health and comes at a time when this care is
On Thursday, January 19th, 2023, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen announced that the United States had officially reached its debt limit and that the Treasury Department is deploying “extraordinary measures” — in this case, suspending investments in government retirement funds — to avoid defaulting. In a letter to Congressional leaders, Secretary Yellen urged Congress
The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (or SUPPORT Act), passed in 2018, included a provision titled “Coverage Continuity for Former Foster Care Children Up to Age 26,” on page 10, which took effect on January 1st, 2023. This important provision requires states to cover youth under
CSH released a new, first-of-its-kind national needs assessment of supportive housing, which was developed by looking at data across a spectrum of public systems and found that an estimated 1,125,000 homes are needed to meet the need for supportive housing. From the Summary: “Supportive housing is affordable housing with flexible services that help vulnerable people
On January 18th, 2023, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a statement to recognized the expansion of access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). The 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022, expands access to medication for opioid use disorder. The legislation removes
On January 12th, 2023, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) released a brief regarding childcare and early education (CCEE). They describe how the use of geographic maps could help lead to understanding local and community context regarding support when making decisions around improving access to the Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG).