Administration

If They Reauthorize TANF

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) five-year reauthorization ran out in FY 2010 and has been extended through a series of short term extensions ranging from a few months to a year at a time. In this year’s budget, for the first time, the Administration proposes several changes and enhancements. There appears to be

New Budget Recognizes Child Welfare Workforce and Other Priorities

President Obama released his final budget for fiscal year 2017 last Tuesday. While the politics of this year and the President’s lame-duck status makes this a difficult budget to adopt there are some key proposals that can build on a vision for reforms and changes for child welfare.  It also offers the potential for some

The Child Welfare Workforce Proposal

The Administration included in the budget a new strategy to expand and strengthen the child welfare workforce. The budget request would amend Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance law to expand state access to current training funds. Currently states can receive a 75 percent match on state dollars spent on worker training. This funding,

Substance Abuse Regional Partnerships

The Administration is proposing that, as part of the need to reauthorize the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program, (title IV-B part 2) that the set-aside that targets drug treatment be increased from $20 million to $60 million a year. The drug treatment funding was created as part of the 2006 reauthorization of the

Appropriations On Small Child Welfare, CAPTA Programs Level Funded

Key child welfare programs including those that are authorized or are a part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) were all flat funded for 2017. State grants would remain at $25 million a year.  Discretionary funding would receive an $11 million boost to $44 million but as just in last year’s budget

Other Child Welfare Reforms Carried in Budget

The Administration carries over earlier child welfare reform measures submitted in the past few years. These include an ACF-CMS Demonstration Projects to address over use of Psychotropic Medication in the treatment of foster children. The proposal envisions for each of the next five years, $50 million a year through ACF matched by $100 million a

Tribal Help In Budget

The Administration proposes several assists to tribal governments and consortia intended to build child welfare capacity in a number of ways. In addition to the continuing $3 million in technical assistance for tribes attempting to take over the Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance programs, the Administration adds in three additional supports. Under Title

Budget Due On Tuesday

President Obama will release his final budget on Tuesday for the Fiscal Year 2017. The budget year begins on October 1.  The overall spending caps for domestic and defense spending have been set as part of last year’s budget deal but that does not mean that the Administration and their Congressional counterparts won’t try and

Child Care Expansion and Quality Improvements Bill Unveiled

On Thursday, February 3 Capitol Hill was the site of a press conference introducing a new child care bill, the Child Care Access to Resources for Early Learning Act (Child C.A.R.E. Act). If the legislation becomes law it would provide significant investment into child care subsidies improving the quality, the supply, and the workforce. In

Education Regulations Next Step

The Department of Education (DOE) began the process of producing regulations as a result of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) now referred to as, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). DOE sought advice and recommendations from the public on which areas need regulation and implementation. The request resulted in written comments

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