As part of the Senate HELP Committee’s debate of a mental health reform measure (see below), senators also endorsed S 2687, the Plan of Safe Care Improvements Act. The legislation, introduced by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) would alter CAPTA and the current language around safe care plans and existing directives to states to have a
While the Senate HELP Committee was debating mental health legislations and amendments to CAPTA, on Tuesday, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce used testimony from Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to raise questions in regard to enforcement of the same CAPTA provisions. In his opening remarks Chairman John Kelley
The Senate finished its work on S 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), when it approved the legislation on Thursday by a vote of 94 to 1. The bill was introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) with the bipartisan co-sponsorship of Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Kelley Ayotte (R-NH),
On Thursday, March 3 the Administration through the Department of Health and Human Services announced they were expanding Medicaid coverage to pregnant women and children beyond what the current Medicaid coverage allows. The announcement by HHS would expand care to an estimated 15,000 patients. The HHS expansion would also increase some of the coverage to
On Tuesday, February 23 the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the prescription drug to heroin addiction issue. The hearing highlights the continued intense interest within Congress on the issue of heroin and opioids use. With sixteen senators in attendance at one time or another there was a great deal of interest on a
More than 35 groups, including CWLA, signed onto a letter circulated by the Foster Family-based Treatment Association (FFTA) calling on Senate leaders to move legislation that would provide emergency financial assistance to address the lead poisoning crisis now confronting Flint, Michigan. Michigan’s senators are attempting to get the money to help address the lead poising
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
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
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
The latest data from HHS through the annual Child Maltreatment report indicates that the number of children substantiated as abused or neglected increased to 702,000 in 2014 compared to 682,307 in 2013. Consistent with the past several years the vast majority of children were victims of neglect (75 percent) compared to physical abuse (17 percent)