On Thursday, February 4, SchoolHouse Connection, Juvenile Law Center, and John Burton Advocates for Youth hosted a webinar centered around new FAFSA policies that affect youth in the foster care system. Why does FAFSA matter for homeless and foster youth? We know that FAFSA matters because some form of postsecondary education is necessary for
As early as this week, congressional leaders may decide whether they can move President Biden’s COVID-19 relief package through a bipartisan process or whether they go the way of reconciliation. A budget reconciliation would mean no Senate filibuster. The House Budget Committee is likely to move on a resolution this week as part of a
February 15 to May 15, 2021 On Thursday, January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order on health care that will create a new open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act. The new enrollment (usually set for December-November) is due to the pandemic. The open enrollment will start on February 15 and last for
On Tuesday, January 26, 2021, President Biden signed into place four Executive Orders to promote and advance racial equity and support underserved communities. Unlike the mainly individualist American mentality, Biden rebuked America as a “zero-sum game” where “if one of us wins, one must lose.” Instead, Biden emphasized that racial equity must be an issue
The new Social Services Block Grant annual report once again documents the significance of SSBG to child welfare services. The SSBG Annual Report 2019 was posted in mid-January, and it complements information provided by the new Child Maltreatment 2019 report, also released this past January. According to the 2019 Child Maltreatment report and its analysis of prevention services,
On Thursday, January 28, 2021, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, took the unusual step of criticizing a particular Republican member’s appointment to the Committee, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The freshman Republican was appointed to the Committee this week, and she brings with her a national reputation because
On Wednesday, January 27, 2021, the House Committee on Education and Labor introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the prevention and treatment of child abuse. H.R. 485, Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), proposes robust funding increases for states and local communities to implement strategies and programs that prevent child abuse is critical to strengthen
The Children’s Bureau released the fifth Information Memorandum, ACYF-CB-IM-21-05, outlining the child welfare provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. No program instructions or further guidance have been released yet, and unlikely that ACF will release anything before key positions or appointments are made. CWLA will continue to monitor and work with other partners to
The 59th Presidential Inauguration for President Joe R. Biden, Jr. and Vice President Kamala D. Harris on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, will forever be a historical moment in U.S. History. Due to the insurrections on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol and the global pandemic, the inauguration was mostly virtual. Nearly 40 million Americans
On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, President Biden’s first day was a launch of a sweeping immigration overhaul that included directing the Homeland Security and Justice departments to preserve and fortify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. His actions would shield undocumented immigrants brought to the country when they were children. DACA grants protection from