On December 1st, 2022, the Senate Finance Committee released its fifth and final mental health discussion draft, this one focusing on mental health parity. Led by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Richard Burr (R-NC), policies in the draft include: Strengthening the accuracy of provider directories in Medicare Advantage plans. Strengthening requirements in Medicaid for managed
The House of Representatives passed the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 on December 2, 2022, in a 390-26 vote. The bill, named for the late Representative from Indiana, would reauthorize the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, which was due to expire in September of this
Politico reports that as conservative states pass legislation to block gender-affirming care for minors, families with trans children are leaving to protect their children. Almost 2 percent of high schoolers in the U.S. identify as trans, according to Politico, and they report starkly higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues compared
The 74 Million published a piece discussing the implications of the pandemic, gun violence, and accidental overdoses and their impact on bereavement in children. As of June 2022, more than 250,000 American children under 18 had lost a primary caregiver to Covid-19. 2020 saw a 24.8% increase of children experiencing bereaved children with a total
Scientific American published an article highlighting the disparity of access to treatment for Black Americans due to access inequality during the opioid epidemic. “During 10 brutal years, opioid and stimulant deaths have increased 575 percent among Black Americans. In 2019 the overall drug overdose death rate among Black people exceeded that of whites for the
Congress has than four weeks left to pass legislation in the 117th Congress and there are several important items that need to be addressed in that time. Although there are still races that haven’t been called, news outlets have predicted that Democrats will retain control of the Senate and Republicans will gain a narrow majority
In October 2022, the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison released a new policy brief about diaper scarcity titled, “Diaper Dilemma: Low-Income Families Face High Costs And Limited Supplies Of An Essential Good.” “Diapers are a critical element of care for infants and young children, and a substantial expense for many
First Focus on Children hosted a panel on analyzing the new national 9-8-8 crisis number on October 20th, 2022. Elaine Dalpiz and Averi Akulis from First Focus on Children facilitated the session aimed at discussing the current system and necessary changes for porting 9-8-8 to the child welfare space. Elaine Dalpiz highlighted the need for
First Focus on Children hosted their annual Children’s Budget Summit on October 6th, 2022. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) welcomed the summit and discussed the importance of the work being done on the child welfare front and the commitment he is making in this realm, focusing particularly on youth mental health, a priority for the Senate
On Wednesday, September 21st, 2022 the Ways and Means Committee marked up the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Act of 2022, which CWLA has endorsed. With family members of the late Congresswoman Walorski in attendance, members of the committee shared their memories of her and condolences for her loss. She was remembered fondly