More complete data released by HHS in the awarding of the adoption and kinship incentives for the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments Program shows that the new structure and new rate formula benefited at least 25 of the states. The awards discussed here last week are based on a phased-in formula that awarded states
Last week HHS awarded the annual adoption incentives now renamed the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments Program. The awards cover adoptions and kinship placements that took place in federal fiscal year 2014 (FY ’14) with the dollars coming from FY 2015. Total funding awarded was $18 million despite the appropriations available set at $38
With a second surprise announcement about the House leadership in less than a month (Boehner retires, McCarthy pulls out of race) the Congress may be heading for a real crisis. Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had what was considered close relationships to many of the most conservative members of the House Republican caucus but that did
Last week CWLA sent a letter to members of the Senate Finance Committee reminding Senate Finance Committee members to include The Family-Based Foster Care Services Act: HR.835/S.429 in future child welfare reform legislation. The leadership of the Finance Committee is attempting to present legislation for debate in Committee at some point in the next two
On Monday, October 5 the American Youth Policy Forum sponsored a briefing that focused on how state and local child welfare programs address the challenge of converting research to inform policy and practice decisions in the child welfare field. The research was funded by the W. T. Grant Foundation in an effort to improve the
On October 5, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) introduced along with Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), HR 3641 the “Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act of2015.” The bill mirrors Senate legislation, S 1852, by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) that would fix what most agree is a technical hang-up in the ACA. The ACA requires states, regardless
The Child Welfare League of America led by President and CEO of CWLA Christine James-Brown brought a delegation of child welfare agencies to Cuba to exchange information and approaches regarding child and family well-being. “We are excited to learn about the resilience of families and how they manage without a child welfare system in place,”
New annual data from HHS indicates that the number of children in foster care increased by more than 14,000 children in federal fiscal year 2014. According to the annual HHS report, the number of children in foster care increased to 415,129 compared to 400,989 in 2013. The totals represent the number of children in out-of-home
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced a Senate Resolution recognizing September as National Kinship Care Month. The resolution builds on the effort by several states to also set-aside the month in recognition of families that provide vital kinship care services some within child welfare but many outside of the system.
This past week Montana Governor Steve Bullock announced a plan to improve child protection and child welfare services. The announcement comes against a backdrop of increasing state foster care numbers and a threat by HHS to cut-off CAPTA funds if the state does not come into compliance with that law’s federal requirements on disclosure of