Older youth, including transition-aged youth, in foster care, are most vulnerable during this public health pandemic because of placement instability, placement in congregate settings, disruptions to their education and employment, social isolation, and lack of access to health. This population is not able to rely on families for support and often will depend on the
Last week the CDC announced that suicide rates increased by 35 percent since the start of this century. From 1999 to 2018, the suicide rate went from 10.5 per 100,000 to 14.2. The CDC report shows that the increases have accelerated over time, increasing by one percent a year through 2006 but have been going
Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) and Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) joined together in a bipartisan plea through the Washington Post: What governors need from Washington during this health emergency. In their comments posted on Tuesday, March 30, 2020, the two governors, who have both been bold and aggressive in their actions to contain COVID-19, called on
As the IRS rolls out the implementation of the economic impact payments, they are still outlining some of the details on who is eligible and how they receive the checks, but coverage will include foster parents who filed either a tax return for 2018 or 2019 (this year’s income tax filing) and had a claim
According to the Treasury Department, small businesses can apply for emergency loans on Friday, April 3, 2020. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a $2 trillion stimulus bill included $349 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program, providing small businesses with the capital they need for overhead and payroll. Starting Friday, April 3,
On Monday, March 30, 2020, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said that the House of Representatives (currently on a scheduled spring break along with the Senate) would not return before April 20. But the return date remains fluid. It is unlikely they would return earlier since the focus now is on the implementation of
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on a press call Monday, March 30, 2020, that there would be a fourth relief package. The Speaker indicated that she has directed committee chairs to start work on another large bill to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. She didn’t think anything would be ready before the Easter and Passover
On Tuesday, March 31, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged the Trump Administration to provide guidance to child welfare agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter was addressed to Vice President Mike Pence and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) Commission Elizabeth Darling urging for immediate relief for youth, support
On Tuesday, March 31, FosterClub announced the #UPChafee Challenge to bring awareness to the importance of an increase in support for foster youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the message is heard, FosterClub asked young people with lived experience in foster care to contact their Members of Congress and share why it is so
On Wednesday, March 25, 2020, the U.S. Senate unveiled and passed HR 748, the third COVID-19 emergency spending legislation. The House gave its final approval on Friday. The $2 trillion supplemental package attempts to cover a range of problem areas from small and big business relief, expanded and extended unemployment compensation, a tax refund pass-through,