On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, the Economic Policy Subcommittee of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing, “Child Care and Other Policy Tools to Combat Bottlenecks and Inflation.” Chair Senator Warren (D-MA) started the hearing with an overview of the problem – inflation is on the rise due, in part, to
Employment rates in daycare remain about 10% below pre-pandemic levels, much lower than other industries, according to a timely article from Bloomberg. While Congress continues to debate how to help families access child care, the workforce is dwindling. “Low pay, demanding work and a lack of benefits have driven child-care workers out of the industry
Injuries are the most common cause of death among children and adolescents, and for more than 60 years, motor vehicle crashes were the top cause of the injury-related deaths for children. However, beginning in 2017, gun-related deaths took the top spot on the list. “That spike is attributable to the simultaneous crackdown on motor vehicle
“National Foster Care Month is an initiative of the Children's Bureau. Each May, we take time to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. We use this time to renew our commitment
The CLWA recommends Congress extend foster care to age 21 so that every young person in foster care will have an option to stay in care, resulting in improved education, housing, and employment outcomes. In 2008, Congress passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (PL 110-351). That law gave states the option
Congress must pass legislation that addresses barriers to mental health care for youth and their families, including maternal mental health care, services and prevention for children and adolescents, Medicaid reform, and bolstering the workforce. Maternal mental health: postpartum depression affects up to 15% of women, and the negative short-and long-term effects on child development are
A new Child Trends brief describes the harm inflicted upon gender-diverse children and youth when policies deny them access to gender-affirming care and supportive environments. Gender-affirming care provides developmentally appropriate supports to gender-diverse children and youth. When transgender children and youth feel that their identities are supported, they experience greater life satisfaction, fewer depressive symptoms,
On April 11, 2022, KHOU in Texas published an article detailing new ramifications of Governor Greg Abbotts’ directive that the Department of Family and Protective Services investigate parents of transgender children: employee resignations. “More than half a dozen child abuse investigators told The Texas Tribune that they either have resigned or are actively job-hunting as
On April 12th, 2022, the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group and GRACE & End Child Poverty California campaign hosted a webinar entitled ‘Ending Child Poverty at the Federal and State Level.’ This webinar focused on how states have promoted child welfare, as well as sharing the importance of the passage of the Child Poverty Reduction
Mathematica is conducting focus groups to explore sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection for youth in foster care and foster/adoptive parents. The study is being conducted on behalf of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and in cooperation with the Children’s Bureau. They are seeking focus group participants