On March 1, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) with an in-person gathering and a livestream, available here. Assistant Secretary January Contreras opened the event by welcoming federal partners, state, territorial and tribal leaders, other partners, and those with lived
On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule that would reduce the number of refugees that are able to seek asylum in the United States. Under this rule, most asylum seekers who cross into the United States between ports of entry or who present themselves at a port of entry without
On Thursday, February 9, 2023 the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) celebrated its fifth anniversary of being signed into law as part of Public Law 115-123. Since 2018, it has enhanced states’ efforts to support families by reducing the use of congregate care, building the capacity of communities to support children, and helping children
On February 23, 2023, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hosted a webinar about the behavioral health crisis and the homeless community. Panelists noted that the current crisis response system is broken and perpetuates inequities. Moreover, people in crisis are often stuck in a repetitive cycle of only momentary inadequate care. Lack
On February 14th, 2023, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (88 FR 9411) proposing to amend federal regulations to allow title IV-E agencies to adopt separate licensing or approval standards for relative or kinship foster family homes. “The Administration for Children and Families
On February 16th, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order to support the advancement of racial equity and service to underserved communities, specifically in federal agencies. Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor, and Shalanda Young, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, hosted a briefing on the content of the
On February 16, 2023, SAMHSA held a virtual round table discussion focused upon behavioral health disparities within the Black community. Moderated by Brandon Johnson, several guest speakers spoke about their personal experiences and subsequent work in reducing the stigma and taboo associated with receiving therapy in Black communities. This problem is urgent, as the Black
On February 16th, 2023, the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) hosted a webinar titled, “Mitigating Safety and Risk for Children Affected by Parental Substance Use Disorders Involved in the Child Welfare System.” The event aimed to spread awareness of the challenges and opportunities for helping parents with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs).
On Tuesday, February 7, 2023, President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union urging Congress to enact his policies, many of these priorities will soon be outlined in CWLA’s 118th Congress Legislative Agenda. I’d like to expand on a few of the alignments here. President Biden urged Congress to restore and expand the Child
On February 9, 2023, the Children’s Bureau released the annual child abuse and neglect report: Child Maltreatment 2021. This year’s report, which covers the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, reveals that of the nationally estimated 3,016,000 children who were the subject of a child welfare agency response in FY 2021, 600,000 children (estimated) were