On Thursday, February 6, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary hearing, "Solving America's Child Care Crisis: Supporting Parents, Children, and the Economy" sought understanding from a panel of experts regarding how the federal government can better support families around the country find and afford high-quality child care. Every day across this country, regardless
On Thursday, January 30, the Trump Administration followed up on last week’s reports with their Medicaid Healthy Adult Opportunity proposal. The announcement came through CMS Administrator Seem Verma with careful avoidance of using the term block grant. The Administration is attempting to use their waiver authority to allow a more limited Medicaid block grant. In
The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) produced a report to Congress on the oversight of Institutions of Mental Diseases (IMDs). “MACPAC serves as a non-partisan legislative branch agency and independent source of information for Medicaid and CHIP and are responsible for reporting to Congress.” Federal definition for IMD are a “hospital, nursing
On Wednesday, January 29, the National Center for Homeless Education, which is funded by the Department of Education, released the federal education data showing the highest number ever of 1.5 million public school children and youth experienced homelessness during the 2017-2018 school year. This is an 11 percent increase from the previous school year and
On Tuesday, January 28, two subcommittees of the House Committee on Education and Labor, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and the Subcommittee on Pensions and Workforce Protections conducted a hearing entitled Expecting More: Addressing America’s Maternal and Infant Health Crisis. Testimony was given by three witnesses: Stacey Stewart, CEO of March of Dimes, Nikia
On Tuesday, January 28, the House Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on the Legislative Proposals for Paid Family and Medical Leave. The hearing focused on the bipartisan Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act), which would establish small monthly payroll contributions to fund employee’s paid leave to care for themselves or
In the past week, several publications have reported that the Administration is readying a proposal to allow states to take a block grant of Medicaid funding. Publications, including the Wall Street Journal and Politico, are describing efforts by CMS Administrator Seema Verma to develop the policy. The proposal would be issued through a letter to
On Wednesday, January 22, the Children’s Bureau released an Information Memorandum, ACYF-CB-IM-20-01, regarding new legislation passed in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Bill of 2020 in December 2019: Public Law (P.L.) 116-94 Family First Transition Act. CWLA had endorsed the legislation. The IM provides basic information on the new law provisions including: 1. The $500 million
The Administration for Community Living is seeking input by Friday, February 7, 2020. The Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, passed in 2018, established an Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. That Council is seeking public input. They are particularly interested in opinions from former and current grandparent(s) or other older relative raising children, or
A new study, Association of Medicaid Expansion With Opioid Overdose Mortality in the United States, finds that jurisdictions that expanded access to Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) had a six percent reduction in opioid deaths. The study published in JAMA Network Open, more specifically counties in expansion states, had an 11 percent lower