On Monday, January 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) issued a letter regarding State Educational Agencies (SEAs) responsibilities in supporting students in foster care. In acknowledging that during the pandemic students and families have been challenged over the past nine months, the Director stated that students
Last week was a roller coaster in Washington D.C. as hopes were continually up and down as the hours of each day passed. Congressional leaders continued to work on a possible final deal on both FY 2021 appropriations and another COVID-19 relief bill as the weekend approached, but every time there was light on a
On Monday, December 7, 2020, President-Elect Joe Biden announced he was nominating California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his next Secretary of Health and Human Services. While Becerra is the California Attorney General, he had served in Congress between 1993 and his elevation to Attorney General in January 2017. As Attorney General, he has led
A new analysis by the Center on Budget Policy and Priority indicates that 23 percent of renters who have lost income or work due to COVID-19 are now behind in their rent. That is more than double overall rates and suggests big trouble as aid (including unemployment extensions) runs out at the end of this
Child welfare jurisdictions are increasingly turning to interventions that use recovery coaches in their efforts to improve access to and engagement in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services, with the goal of improving parental recovery and child welfare outcomes. Yet, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions. The purpose
On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST, CWLA invites you to hear about a new suite of reports being released by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Research and Evaluation at US DHHS on findings from 25 years of the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) and transracial adoptions. Register here. Researched approximately
On Friday, November 20, 2020, the Children’s Bureau issued a letter to child welfare leaders permitting Title IV-E Prevention programs and services to be adapted to a virtual environment during the current emergency (COVID-19 pandemic). In the letter, Commissioner Jerry Milner outlines that under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, adaptation
Members and staff continued to work on a final FY 2021 appropriations omnibus package that will cover all 12 appropriations bills. They continue to make progress, but it is increasingly likely that they will need another short-term continuing resolution (CR) to finalize the package. The current CR funding expires on December 11, 2020. It seems
Since the U.S. Senate's makeup is still dependent on the Georgia special election on January 5, leadership at the committee level is still shaking out. Simultaneously, with the House returning with the same leadership on both sides, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) released the House schedule for 2021. There will not be changes in the
On November 18, 2020, the Century Fund released a new report and analysis that indicates 12 Million Workers Facing Jobless Benefit Cliff on December 26. People across the country have enrolled in different programs that have expanded unemployment compensation due to the pandemic. All of these different programs will expire the day after Christmas, December 26,