On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017. The bill was adopted on a voice vote reflecting the bipartisan sponsors that they can get a reauthorization done this year. The bill was introduced by Congressman Jason Lewis (R-MN) and House Education and Workforce Ranking Member, Congressman Bobby
On Wednesday, the House Subcommittee on Human Resources conducted an oversight hearing labeled, Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults to Break the Cycle of Poverty. The hearing focused on private and non-profit strategies to move young people into the education and workforce systems. Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith (R-NE) said, “There is an alarming trend happening
One week after the Senate Judiciary Committee acted, the House Judiciary Committee acted on HR 1973 to address recent reports of sexual abuse of Olympic athletes. The bill however differs from the Senate version which passed Committee on Thursday, May 11. That bill the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act, S 534, endorsed by
On Thursday, May 11, the Senate Judiciary passed the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act, S 534. The legislation, endorsed by CWLA, would require mandated reporting of child abuse by amateur athletic governing bodies. The legislation is an outgrowth of reports of sexual abuse of some past members of the USA Olympic Gymnastics teams.
The President issued an executive order last Thursday that was intended to address the goals of his more conservative religious base by providing greater “religious freedom,” but after earlier initial reports, he did not include language that would allow for discrimination in the placement of children in foster and adoptive homes. A draft that had
Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) have reintroducing a bill that is intended to help states identify children who come into contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems (dual status children and youth). The Childhood Outcomes Need New Efficient Community Teams or CONNECT Act would authorize competitive grants to
A new letter, which CWLA has signed onto, is urging Congress to act on a Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) reauthorization soon. The letter, circulated by First Focus and the Children’s Defense Fund, is open to national, state and local groups can be read here and signed onto here. Funding for CHIP is set to
Last week the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth held a panel presentation and discussion on, Financial Literacy and Consumer Credit Issues facing Transition-Age Youth. Participants included: Carol Behrer, Executive Director of the Youth Policy Institute of Iowa (YPII) a state organization focused on improving youth policy and practice, particularly as it relates to system-involved and
Just before the spring recess committees in both houses took a go at moving a reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection Act (JJDPA). The last time the JJDPA was reauthorized was in 2002 with the current programs operating without an authorization since 2007. In July 2016, the Senate Judiciary Committee had taken the
On Thursday, March 9, more than 80 members of Congress signed onto a letter to denounce a suggestion by Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly that the Department might look at foster care placements as an enforcement tool regarding immigration. At a press conference, led by Congressperson Karen Bass (D-CA), several members of Congress addressed reporters