Coalition Launches Effort to Assist Homeless Youth Avoid JJ

The Coalition on Juvenile Justice has launched Collaborating for Change: Addressing Youth Homelessness and Juvenile Justice, a project with two main goals: to decrease the likelihood that homeless youth become involved with the juvenile justice system; and to prevent youth homelessness among justice-involved youth. The project is a collaboration between the Coalition and with project partners, the National

White House Hosts Hackathon

On Thursday, May 26, the White House capped off May as National Foster Care Month with a two-day “White House and Foster Care and Technology Hackathon.” The event sought to bring together child welfare leaders, organizations, families and foster alumni into a meeting with engineers and leaders from the technology sector. As part of the

Senators Examine Child Welfare-Juvenile Justice Link

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, as part of National Foster Care Month held a hearing, Supporting Youth in the Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Systems. In opening the hearing Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) said that he hoped the hearing would result in some new information and strategies to better coordinate services between the child

Runaway And Homeless Youth Program Supporters Hopeful

On Wednesday May 4, the National Network for Youth and the True Colors Fund sponsored a Capitol Hill briefing in support of a reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. The panel of speakers included Darla Bardine, Executive Director, National Network for Youth, Dr. Resa Matthew, Family and Youth Services Bureau,

2016 Congressional Session Short and Uncertain

When Congress returns this week it will mark the beginning of a very short congressional calendar.  The President is scheduled to deliver his last State of the Union address on January12 which will unofficially begin the new budget debate for FY 2017.  The official budget will come a little more than four weeks later in

HHS Releases New Adoption-Kinship Incentives, Funding Running Short

Last week HHS awarded the annual adoption incentives now renamed the Adoption and Legal Guardianship Incentive Payments Program. The awards cover adoptions and kinship placements that took place in federal fiscal year 2014 (FY ’14) with the dollars coming from FY 2015. Total funding awarded was $18 million despite the appropriations available set at $38

JJDPA Reauthorization

A briefing, Smart Investments: Keeping Kids and Communities Safe, Reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act was held on Thursday, September 17 to encourage congressional action on a reauthorization of the JJDPA. A number of groups including Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court

Finance Committee Examines Congregate Care

  On Tuesday, May 19, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the use of congregate care. The hearing was titled, "No Place to Grow Up: How to Safely Reduce Reliance on Foster Care Group Homes." The hearing focused on the desire to make sure that children do not grow up or stay in

Senate Finance Hearing Adds to Collection of May Child Welfare Events

May is National Foster Care Month and as a result there have been a number of events on and around Capitol Hill focusing attention on child welfare in an effort to highlight issues around out of home care. On Tuesday the Senate Finance Committee will add to the focus by holding a hearing.  It will

White House To Highlight Child Welfare Champions On Tuesday, Watch

On Tuesday, May 19th, the White House will honor twelve former foster youth as "Champions of Change" because they are making a difference in their communities. The program will feature remarks by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity Roy L. Austin Jr. The

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