Generations United conducted a webinar on February 9, 2021, in collaboration with the Children’s Defense Fund and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. This webinar discussed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and its implications for "grandfamilies." Divisions of the Appropriations Act outline provisions to help relative caregivers and allow the
This past week the Senate and House began to lay the groundwork for a budget reconciliation that could lead to the enactment of a Biden-COVID-19 relief package. The House began the process when it passed a budget resolution that provides the legislative authority to use reconciliation on Wednesday, and the Senate took up that resolution
President Biden’s American Rescue Plan includes expanding of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) with recommendations that the credit be made fully refundable and that the maximum benefit be increased from the current level of $2,000 per child for children zero to 16 years old to $3,600 per child under six years old and $3,000 per child ages
On February 2, 2021, President Biden issues an Executive Order directing the secretary of State (DOS), the attorney general (DOJ), the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the heads of other relevant agencies to review all agency actions related to implementation of the public charge ground of inadmissibility and deportability. The Department of Homeland
On January 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was increasing the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) by roughly 15 percent in support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger. This increase will provide more money to low-income families and millions of children due to child care and school closures.
The hearing and approval process of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for Secretary of Health and Human Services is likely to start in mid-February. The HHS Secretary-designate goes before two Senate Committees, the Finance Committee, and the HELP Committee. The process has been slow, and in fact, until a final Senate shared power agreement
Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) of the Finance Committee sent a letter to the Acting HHS Secretary W. Cochran urging the Biden Administration to halt the implementation of a Trump-era HHS final rule that would allow taxpayer-funded discrimination. If this final rule goes into effect on February 11, 2021, Senator Wyden inserted that “it has the potential
Last week, several groups presented on the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed in December containing the bipartisan Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act (H.R. 7947). On Wednesday, February 3, the Juvenile Law Center and FosterClub hosted a webinar centered around distributing the COVID relief funds to youth across America.
As early as this week, congressional leaders may decide whether they can move President Biden’s COVID-19 relief package through a bipartisan process or whether they go the way of reconciliation. A budget reconciliation would mean no Senate filibuster. The House Budget Committee is likely to move on a resolution this week as part of a
February 15 to May 15, 2021 On Thursday, January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on health care that will create a new open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act. The new enrollment (usually set for December-November) is due to the pandemic. The open enrollment will start on February 15 and last for