The Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, held the second in an on-going series of discussion on youth in foster care. The event held on Wednesday, December 7, “A Focus on Older Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care: A Focus on Higher education Opportunities.” The second session focused on some of the best approaches and
The fate of the Families First Act, in these last few days of Congress rests with a continuing resolution as the last possible vehicle for enactment. Congressional sponsors are asking advocates to weigh-in with House and Senate leadership to move the bill as part of a CR that must be passed before Congress wraps up.
The Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, on Thursday, December 1, held the first of what is expected to be a series of Hill roundtable discussions on the challenges of youth in foster care. The first roundtable was “A Focus on Older Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care.” This forum began with opening comments by
Shortly before the election the increases in the average premium costs under the ACA captured national attention. Premiums rose on average by more than 20 percent with increases ranging from 145 percent in Arizona ($507 per month) to a low of – 4 percent in Indiana ($286 per month). But all the focus was on
On Friday, December 2, the Department of Education released guidance and resources on assisting young people juvenile justice placement in their transition back to traditional school settings. The assistance includes: a guide is written for incarcerated youth; a newly updated transition toolkit and resource guide for practitioners in juvenile justice facilities; a document detailing education programs
One critical Executive Order that President Obama issued regarding immigration policy may garner some bipartisan support in the Senate. There were reports this week that Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) were discussing ways to protect more than 740,000 young undocumented students from any E.O. or action by incoming President Donald Trump
Would enactment of the Families First Act commit key Republicans leaders to protecting Title IV-E funding from being converted into a block grant? That is a question to consider in the waning days of the 114th Congress. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) has made no secret of his desire to convert both Medicaid and SNAP/food stamps
Incoming Republicans are speaking of using the reconciliation process twice next year with the first one used to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Some speculate that could take place as early as late January. The mantra for opponents of the ACA for over six years has been “repeal and replace’ but the replace part is
On Wednesday, November 16, Voice for Adoption (VFA) sponsored their annual Adoption Portrait Project in honor of November as National Adoption Month. The annual event features families who have adopted children from the foster care system. The families are sponsored by members of Congress who agree to highlight their picture and their stories in their
With the latest AFCARS data official, there are now clear indications that foster care numbers are trending upward. A third consecutive increase in foster care to 427,910 children in care represents an eight percent increase since 2012. Likely these numbers will be even higher when the 2016 numbers are reported next year. The numbers are