On Tuesday, July 17, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute hosted their annual Foster Youth Intern (FYI) legislative forum. The annual invent invites in a number of young people who have been in foster care and have served as interns on Capitol Hill to share their ideas and proposals on child welfare policy. This year’s
As we begin the last full week in July the House of Representatives will be wrapping up this week and won’t return until after Labor Day. The Senate faces continued action at least for the next two weeks until they take some time off in August. It is unclear how much of August the Senate
On Monday, July 9 the Administration for Children and Families released their first guidance on the Family First Prevention Services Act. The program instruction (PI), ACYF-CB-PI-18-07 does not deal with the services component of the new law (see below for comment request) but directs states on how they need to amend their Title IV-E and
Last Thursday, when the House Appropriations Committee acted on their Labor-HHS-Education bill, Committee Republicans included an amendment that could promote discrimination in the placement and recruitment of children and parents based on gender and sexual preference. The amendment was offered by Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and it is similar to language and legislation sponsored by
On Thursday, July 12 the House Appropriations Committee passed their Labor-Health and Human Services and Education bill after two previous delays. Most of the votes cast were along party line with a great deal of the debate focused on immigration and family separation. In the end the bill was approved along party lines with several
Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee acted on their Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations and sent it on to the Senate floor for future consideration. On the other side of the Capitol Building, the House Appropriations Committee once again delayed action on the Labor-HHS-Education bill reported out by the Subcommittee. Their bill for FY 2019 has been delayed
In the Senate Appropriations Report to the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations, the Committee directs HHS to provide monthly data and weekly updates on the status of children in HHS custody. The directive is attached to the $1.3 billion appropriated to the Unaccompanied Alien children line item. In the Committee comments they note the trauma and hardship being
On Wednesday, June 27, the House of Representatives put a final nail in the coffin of immigration reform compromise when the Goodlatte-Ryan bill went down to a big defeat by a vote of 121 to 301. There are suggestions that when the House returns from the July 4th break they will take up a narrower
A joint briefing by the YWCA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation: A Report Back from the Border on Friday, June 29, provided a platform for advocates to call for congressional action. The panel discussion and remarks included Abel Nunez, CARECEN—Latino Resource and Justice Center, Maria Cardona, Latinovations, Maria Teresa Kumar, Vota Latino, Ranit Mishori, Global
Shaquita Ogletree Council for Strong America provided a Capitol Hill briefing on “Caring for the Youngest Victims of Our Nation’s Opioid Crisis.” Congressman Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) discussed the fifty-eight bills that were passed by the House of Representatives in recent days along with an additional $4 billion for states and said the action was in