The Children’s Bureau has released instructions (ACYF-CB-PI-18-05) on how states can draw down $20 million in FY 2018 Kinship Navigator funds. The $20 million was added as part of the March-approved FY 2018 appropriations bills. It was attached to Title IV-B part 2, Promoting Safe and Stable Families. Unlike the Kinship-Navigator funds (which require programs
The House Ways and Means Committee has released for debate and vote a TANF reauthorization. It is anticipated that the vote will take place this Wednesday. The announcement of the latest bill came last Thursday and would set a vote two weeks after the Human Resources Subcommittee released an initial draft. The bill makes superficial
In March the Nebraska Foster Care Review Office (FCRO) issued their quarterly report that took an up-close look at children that re-enter foster care. In that closer look at the children and youth in foster care they found a much more significant number of children in foster care who had been in foster care at
Also addressing the Wednesday CWLA gathering were four key legislative staffers from the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. The bipartisan group included Anne DeCesaro, House Republican Staff, Morna Miller, House Democratic staff, Laura Berntsen, Senator Ron Wyden, and Ryan Martin, Senator Orrin Hatch. The bipartisan group used a power point
Part of the CWLA National Conference includes the release of CWLA 2018 legislative agenda and supporting materials on the reauthorization of the JJDPA, preservation of SSBG, preserving the ACA and Medicaid, the dangers of block grants, but the main talking points for Capitol Hill will focus on greater funding through the Title IV-B programs to
The CWLA National Conference starts this week. The opening takes place on Thursday, April 26, but there will be a preview event for state advocates and CWLA members going to Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon, April 25, the National Advocacy Leaders Convening. The Wednesday session includes a discussion with Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau
The Children’s Bureau has released an information memorandum (IM) describing the Family First Act (PL 115-123). The IM is a basic description of the law and not a guidance or clarification of the many questions on the detailed implementation. The IM does prove that the extensive law cannot be explained in any quick fashion as
With Brittney Gerteisen One item the Senate may get to in the next month is the nomination of Lynn A. Johnson to be Assistant Secretary for Family Support, Department of Health and Human Service (formerly Administration for Children and Families). Last month, shortly before the break, the Senate Finance Committee took up the nomination. Chairman
The Senate Finance Committee is holding a confirmation hearing on Tuesday on the nomination of Lynn A. Johnson to be the next Assistant Secretary for Family Support (formerly Administration on Children and Families). As the Senate was preparing to move forward on the Assistant Secretary position, the Administration was nominating Elizabeth Darling to be the
On March 15, HHS published in the Federal Register two notices in regard to a delay in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems (AFCARS). In the first notice, the Children’s Bureau is proposing to delay the AFCARS implementation rule (finalized in 2016) by two years. Comments for this proposed delay are due