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
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, President Biden signed into place four Executive Orders to promote and advance racial equity and support underserved communities. Unlike the mainly individualist American mentality, Biden rebuked America as a “zero-sum game” where “if one of us wins, one must lose.” Instead, Biden emphasized that racial equity must be an issue
The new Social Services Block Grant annual report once again documents the significance of SSBG to child welfare services. The SSBG Annual Report 2019 was posted in mid-January, and it complements information provided by the new Child Maltreatment 2019 report, also released this past January. According to the 2019 Child Maltreatment report and its analysis of prevention services,
The Children’s Bureau released the fifth Information Memorandum, ACYF-CB-IM-21-05, outlining the child welfare provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. No program instructions or further guidance have been released yet, and unlikely that ACF will release anything before key positions or appointments are made. CWLA will continue to monitor and work with other partners to
On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, President Biden’s first day was a launch of a sweeping immigration overhaul that included directing the Homeland Security and Justice departments to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. His actions would shield undocumented immigrants brought to the country when they were children. DACA grants protection from
One of the first critical decisions that will have to be worked out over the next several days is how President Biden will get his COVID-19 proposal through Congress. As a veteran senator who was also key to many of the Obama Administration’s congressional negotiations, he has raised hopes for bipartisan action, but that would
The Biden Administration has announced more moves for the Department of Health and Human Services. While the Department waits on the Senate confirmation of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as the new Secretary, Acting Secretary Norris Cochran made several moves. Sean McCluskie was appointed the department’s Chief of Staff and Anne Reid as the Deputy
Among the dozens of Executive Orders signed or expected to be signed by President Biden starting on January 20, 2021, were: an extension on a freeze on evictions and foreclosures through the end of March, a freeze on student loans, a repeal of President Trump order that attempted to stop diversity training by federal agencies,