On Wednesday and Thursday of last week, the Department of Health and Human Services along with the White House coordinated a convening of states to help address the implementation of last year’s Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. In announcing the event, the National Convening on Trafficking and Child Welfare , the White House
On June 11, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Education and Workforce Committee introduced HR 2728, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2015. It picks up on some of the key provisions of a bipartisan Senate version (S 2999) by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Senate Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Like
Senator Wyden is still seeking input on his discussion draft bill. The discussion draft would build on the Administration’s FY 2016 budget request that seeks to expand the use of the foster care “candidacy” category as a methodology to provide home and community based services for children who have not yet been placed into foster
A letter in support of the President’s budget request for greater funding in some child welfare services has collected over 160 organizational sign-ons. The Administration’s FY 2016 budget request includes a number of proposals including the expansion of services to help prevent foster care placements as well as some limited funding for post-permanence funding. The
On Tuesday, May 19, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the use of congregate care. The hearing was titled, "No Place to Grow Up: How to Safely Reduce Reliance on Foster Care Group Homes." The hearing focused on the desire to make sure that children do not grow up or stay in
For the second time in four days, on Tuesday, May 19, the White House was the center for a discussion on foster care. This event was framed around the Champions of Change program in which the White House recognized 12 young people who had been in foster care at some point in their lives. The
Youth Villages and Results for America convened a roundtable of experts to discuss the findings from a newly released evaluation by MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research firm, on the promising interim results of Youth Villages’ transitional living program called YVLifeSet. Becoming Adults, by MDRC examined the YVLife Set model that is
On Friday morning May 15, the White House sponsored a forum that focused attention on the topic of preventing placement of children in foster care. The discussion included more than 60 individuals representing national organizations (including the Child Welfare League of America), federal officials, state representatives and individuals affected by the child welfare system. Part
In relation to the President’s request for greater funding in some child welfare services, organizations still have an opportunity to join over 100 organizations in support of the budget proposals. A number of groups led by First Focus Campaign for Children, the Child Welfare League of America, Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), Foster Family-based Treatment Association
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is still seeking input on his draft legislation. On Monday, May 5, Senator Wyden, the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee released a “discussion draft” of legislation that would invest new money into child welfare services through Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The discussion draft would build on