On Wednesday, January 23, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a long-delayed decision that grants a child welfare agency in the state of South Carolina a waiver from anti-discrimination requirements under Title IV-E foster care and adoption assistance. The action permits one child welfare agency, Miracle Hill, to continue restricting their recruitment practices
This week CWLA reached out to the more than 100 new members of the 116th Congress with a child welfare background package of information including Investing in All of Child Welfare. This piece argues for investing in ALL of child welfare services: Child welfare’s continuum of care includes prevention of child abuse before it happens
On Tuesday, January 16, an impressive array of state and national organizations joined in support of Tribal nations and representatives in defense of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). The briefs were filed with the Fifth Circuit in response to a ruling by a judge late last year. The Amicus Brief by national organizations was
Tessa Buttram and Kylie Hunter On Thursday, January 17, 2019, the Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute held a forum on Youth-Led Organizing and Civic Engagement in the Outdoors. The Fresh Tracks program convened leaders to share their experience using the outdoors as a platform to build leadership skills, learn about and
The ongoing government shutdown is a mixed bag in terms of human services funding and which programs, and, by extension, people are most vulnerable. As part of the five appropriations bills that were signed on time last fall, the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education and Department of Labor are all funded.
Shaquita Ogletree On Thursday, December 13, Congress passed H.R. 6964, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018. It has been 16 years since the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA) was last authorized. JJDPA is the main federal law that strengthens protections for justice-involved youth and improves public safety. Upon final passage
When the Children’s Bureau released their first guidance on services provided through the Family First Act, they also announced two call to provided further information. Those calls will be on Monday, December 17, 2018 from 2:30 – 4:00 PM ET or Tuesday, December 18, 2018 from 12:00-1:30 PM ET. Call-in Information: is: 888-391-9602 with the
Last week the Inspector General for HHS released a new inspection report to Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson that criticized conditions and practices at a Texas facility for unaccompanied children. The IG is in the process of inspecting 45 facilities. These inspections are in person and include records and documents check of the facilities. The facility
With only 4 days until funding runs out on 25 percent of the federal budget, it is still unclear how the story of the FY 2019 ends. It appears likely there will be a short-term extension this week but that is because of the funeral and ceremonies in honor of former President George H.W. Bush.
Last Sunday, November 25, the CBS news program, 60 Minutes, reported on children separated at the border. What the 60 Minutes segment revealed was what some critics had suspected; they had been separating children from their families much earlier than 2018. The story also documented through interviews with officials from within the government some of