Before President Biden’s signed the American Rescue Plan, 27 million children did not receive the child tax credit as a result of low parental income. During the pandemic, child poverty reached an estimated high of 21.4% in August 2020 – up from 18.7% pre-pandemic. The National Academies of Sciences found that child poverty itself costs
Aysha Schomburg, Associate Commissioner for the Children’s Bureau, helped to open CWLA’s successful 2021 virtual conference on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. In her opening remarks to CWLA attendees, she discussed her experiences over the past year during the pandemic and some of the lessons learned. At the time, Commissioner Schomburg was working at New York
On Wednesday, April 28, 2021, John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY)presented their report, Holding on by a Thread: The Cumulative Impact of the Pandemic on Youth Who Have Been in Foster Care or Homeless. JBAY conducted an online survey of 598 youth who have been in foster care or experienced homelessness from the State of California
On Monday, April 26, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider Texas’ challenge to California’s ban on California-funded business trips to other states deemed to discriminate against LGBTQ people. The ban does not apply to California law enforcement, tax auditors, and collectors, and anyone who needs to travel to these states to appear before
On Thursday, April 29, 2021, the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council held a webinar to discuss opportunities and priorities available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. A partnership between Foster Care Alumni of America, FosterClub, and Casey Family Programs, the council's mission is to strategically gather the voices and experiences
Following CWLA’s 2021 Virtual Conference will be Virtual Hill Day on Wednesday, May 12th, in which we are asking CWLA members and Conference registrants to go to Capitol Hill to virtual meet their members of Congress to educate them on key child welfare legislation. The 2021 CWLA Legislative Agenda, which lays out key priorities for
Recently Bethany Christian Services released a report detailing what their agencies have learned over this past year due to the pandemic. The report includes a number of observations and some proposed reforms. One of those reforms is a revaluation of a 1994 law called the Multi-Ethic Placement Act (MEPA) and, more specifically, a rollback of changes made
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, FosterClub and Juvenile Law Center with Youth Villages provided a second summary of the older youth sections of the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act program instructions and highlighted key areas to support the implementation of the law. This webinar specifically provided the summary and highlights
Child Trends has released the new biennial report on state spending on child welfare, Child Welfare Financing SFY 2018, and it shows little dramatic difference from previous years. Total child welfare agency expenditures increased by 6 percent from SFY 2016 to SFY 2018, but only by 2 percent over the past decade. That may not be
On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Children’s Bureau released guidance on implementing funds appropriated by The Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act, included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed in December 2020 by Congress. The Program Instruction, ACYF-CB-PI-21-04, provides guidance and instructions for the John H. Chafee Foster Care Programs for Successful Transition to