On Thursday, March 7, four key congressional leaders on child welfare asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar to increase the HHS efforts on the implementation of the Family First Act. The letter signed by Senate Finance Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA), Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support
Shaquita Ogletree The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) is a long-standing federal law protecting the well-being of Native children by upholding family integrity and stability within their community; and the “gold standard” in child welfare policy. October 2018, Judge Reed O’Connor of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that
Last week Child Trends unveiled new state data on child maltreatment and child welfare. They also issued an analysis that indicates that one in three children entered for care due to parental substance abuse in 2017. The rate of 131 children per 100,000 represents a 5 percent increase over the previous year. That rate also
On February 9, the head of New York City’s JJCA child welfare agency, penned an opinion piece in the Capitol Hill publication, The Hill, calling out an HHS decision to waive anti-discrimination regulations in child welfare placements. CEO Ronald E Richter denounced the recent decision by the Administration to issue the waiver arguing that there
On Wednesday, February 13, 95 Members of the House signed a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar criticizing the Departments decision to grant a waiver to South Carolina from nondiscrimination provisions of the federal child welfare programs. A few days later Americans United filed a lawsuit against HHS. The House of
On Tuesday, January 16, an impressive array of state and national organizations joined in support of Tribal nations and representatives in defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and last week the opposition submitted their arguments. The response was more limited to the State Plaintiffs’-Appellees’ Response Brief (Texas, Indian and Louisiana); Individual Plaintiffs’-Appellees’ Response
Jay Williams On Wednesday, January 30, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) reintroduced the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (S.274), similar to legislation he sponsored along with Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) last year. The legislation, which CWLA does not support, would require HHS to penalize state child welfare agencies who are found in violation of “provider inclusion”
Building on efforts such as the Enzi legislation, a report in the Washington Post last week says that the President’s coming FY 2020 budget will request language to expand its authority to allow discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs. The Post article states “In a 2020 draft budget request that has not been made
On Wednesday, January 23, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a long-delayed decision that grants a child welfare agency in the state of South Carolina a waiver from anti-discrimination requirements under Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance. The action permits one child welfare agency, Miracle Hill, to continue restricting their recruitment practices
The President has signed an extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The action was on track before the temporary reprieve from the government shutdown was agreed to last Friday. On Tuesday, January 22, the Senate passed the short term extension, HR 430. The bill extends the block grant through June