Placement & Permanency

Resources To Improve Education and Foster Care Status

The Legal Center for Foster Care & Education  has created a guide and factsheet, Roadmap for Foster Care and K–12 Data Linkages, that promotes the cooperation between state and local education and child welfare agencies in the sharing of data.  The Center points out that by sharing data, child welfare and education agencies can work

CWLA Continues Vigilance on E.O. for Discrimination in Placement  

As reported last week the Trump Administration is considering an executive order that will “respect religious freedom” and could be so broad that it will allow the discrimination in the placement of children in adoptive, foster and kinship placements. It would extend these provisions beyond religious or faith based agencies to “any organization” including for-profit

GAO Reviews State Efforts on Psychotropic Medication Use For Foster Children

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report on foster care and oversight of prescription drug medication. The report, HHS Has Taken Steps to Support States’ Oversight of Psychotropic Medications, but Additional Assistance Could Further Collaboration, as the title suggests indicates more needs to be done in terms of the overuse and prescribing

Presidential Order Could Allow Discrimination in Placement of Children

The Trump Administration may be getting ready to issue an executive order that will “respect religious freedom” and could be so broad that it will allow the discrimination in the placement of children in adoptive, foster and kinship placements. It would extend these provisions beyond religious or faith based agencies to “any organization” including for-profit

Human Services Programs That Have Expired Reauthorizations  

With some proposing that we defund programs that have not been reauthorized, the Congressional Budget Office issues regular annual reports of how many programs have not been reauthorized. Congress frequently fails to meet the window to reauthorize programs.  An occurrence that seems more frequent in recent congresses.  In January 2016, the CBO released, Unauthorized Appropriations

Opioid Epidemic and the Repeal of ACA/Medicaid Block Grant

Evidence is all around that the country is facing another drug abuse crisis.  Not surprisingly that crisis is impacting the number of children entering foster care.  Child welfare will continue to be effected by increased drug epidemic and that could become even more significant if Congress repeals the ACA, block grants Medicaid and does not

Listen to a Young Man Describe His 20 Years in Foster Care!  

On Wednesday, January 11, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered—Youth Radio, broadcast a story about a young man who entered foster care at the age of one and who recently aged out of care at the age of 21. Noel Anaya spent nearly all of his life in the California foster care system and tells

Help Us Protect SSBG  

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a vital source of support for your state ESPECIALLY for child welfare, domestic violence, elder abuse services, and other human services. Speaker Ryan has offered proposals to eliminate all $1.7 billion in human services funding.  See how your state spends its SSBG and who they serve in the

Families First Act Re-Introduced in House

Last week Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI) reintroduced the Families First Act, HR 253.  The legislation is identical to the legislation that passed the House of Representatives last summer.  As a result, it does not include any of the changes that were agreed to after last year’s November election.  It is

Repeal Of ACA First Up, Medicaid Block Grant on List

The new 115th Congress officially starts on January 3.  Behind the scenes discussion have been on-going on using a 2017 budget resolution (left over from last year) to very quickly provide the first budget reconciliation. The process will start this week with the Senate expected to pass a budget resolution this week and the House

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