On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, the House Ways and Means Committee conducted a virtual hearing on the Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19 on Communities of Color. Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA), said: “While the factors driving these inequities are complex and multifaceted, their impact on health outcomes have been clearly documented.” His opening comments highlighted: Indigenous and
On Thursday, May 28, 2020, the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth hosted a briefing on COVID-19 and its impact on child welfare to explore the effects of the pandemic on these vulnerable young people and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-sweeping impacts on all Americans, and the impacts on children and families in
On Friday, May 15, 2020, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and Children’s Aid sent a letter to Secretary Betsy DeVos asking for assistance to provide additional guidance about flexibility related to income documentation for independent students during the pandemic. COVID-19 is putting many young people in, or on the verge of, a crisis.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, the House of Representatives leadership introduced new legislation they called “The Heroes Act (H.R.6800).” The legislation provides approximately $3 trillion in appropriations and other funding for state and local governments and offers direct support to individuals. Despite the various names of the coronavirus relief legislation, this bill represents the fifth
On Friday, May 8, 2020, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced legislation that would provide $10 billion in emergency TANF funding. CWLA has endorsed the legislation. The TANF funding increase of $10 billion would be paid out until the end of the fiscal year 2021 (September 30, 2021) and it could be used for current services
On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, child welfare leaders from Washington D.C. and Virginia discussed how the region’s foster care and child welfare services are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the nationally syndicated public radio Kojo Nnamdi Show. The guests included Brenda Donald, District of Columbia, Director, DC Child, and Family Services Agency, Sharra
On Monday, May 11, 2020, the Association of Administrators of the Interstate Compact on Adoption and Medical Assistance (AAICAMA) and CWLA sent a joint letter to Elizabeth Darling, Associate Commissioner Administration on Children, Youth and Families and Jerry Milner, Commissioner, Children’s Bureau asking for guidance to states encouraging them to review assistance agreements that, unlike
On Tuesday, May 12, HHS published final rule for the updated Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) regulations and requirements. AFCARS data reported by states annually helps to build a profile of the “child welfare” population by producing annual numbers on children in out-of-home (foster) care, adoptions and youth aging out to
On Wednesday, May 13, 2020, Members of Congress and Congressional staff were invited to attend a short virtual briefing hosted by Youth Villages, Juvenile Law Center, and FosterClub on how COVID-19 is affecting older youth from foster care. FosterClub revealed results from their new survey where over 600 transition-age youth from foster care between 18
On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) unveiled the $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, the next major coronavirus relief bill. The legislation provisions related to former foster youth and other vulnerable youth populations includes the following emergency assistance: • $50 million for the John H. Chafee Foster
