On Tuesday, April 14, 2020, the Children’s Bureau released new guidance highlighting and strongly encouraging court leaders to engage Court Improvement Programs (CIPs) in assisting dependency courts to respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Associate Commissioner Jerry Milner instructed Chief Justices and State Court Administrators to “work closely with the CIP in your state or
Sixto Cancel, Founder and CEO of Think of Us, hosted a webinar with the Associate Commissioner of the Children's Bureau, Dr. Jerry Milner, Chris Patterson from the Department of Housing and Development, and Ruth White from the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW). Sixto and Patterson both were former foster youth who aged
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week recommending improved oversight of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, which funds state efforts to help low-income families access crucial child care services. Following the release of the report, Republican Leader of the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), issued the
On Friday, April 10, the Children’s Bureau released a letter from Jerry Milner suspending the Title IV-E Eligibility and National Youth in Transition (NYTD) reviews in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Milner stated the following: “Dear Child Welfare Leader: Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak with many of you
On Tuesday, April 7, the Administration requested another $250 billion for the Small Business Loans that just opened a little more than a week ago. The forgiveness loans are open to small businesses of less than 500 employees. SBA loans are available to nonprofit organizations. There has been significant confusion and even frustration as loan
Last week the HHS Office of Inspector General (I.G.) issued Hospital Experiences Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a National Pulse Survey March 23–27, 2020. The report stated, "Hospitals reported that their most significant challenges centered on testing and caring for patients with known or suspected COVID-19 and keeping staff safe. Hospitals also reported
Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) and Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) joined together in a bipartisan plea through the Washington Post: What governors need from Washington during this health emergency. In their comments posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2020, the two governors, who have both been bold and aggressive in their actions to contain COVID-19, called on
According to the Treasury Department, small businesses can apply for emergency loans on Friday, April 3, 2020. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion stimulus bill included $349 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, providing small businesses with the capital they need for overhead and payroll. Starting Friday, April 3,
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on a press call Monday, March 30, 2020, that there would be a fourth relief package. The Speaker indicated that she has directed committee chairs to start work on another large bill to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. She didn’t think anything would be ready before the Easter and Passover
On Tuesday, March 31, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged the Trump Administration to provide guidance to child welfare agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter was addressed to Vice President Mike Pence and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) Commission Elizabeth Darling urging for immediate relief for youth, support