Last month, CWLA released the 2020 Presidential candidates platform, Making Children a National Priority, highlighting plans that focused on children and their families. Only two candidates, Julian Castro and Senator Kamala Harris, provided recommendations on foster care. Castro’s Children First Plan for Foster Families is comprehensive reform efforts addressing the full continuum of care. Majority
A reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) S 2971 (Senator Johnny Isakson R-OK) and separate Adoption Opportunities Act Reauthorization, S 2969 (Senator Doug Jones D-AL) was introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, December 4. The bills, which will be joined together as a final package, would reauthorize the CAPTA and the
Shortly before Thanksgiving, the House and Senate passed a second continuing resolution that extended FY 2020 funding until December 20, 2019. Quickly after that, Senator Richard Shelby (D-AL) and Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) as respective chairs of the two appropriations committees agreed to spending allocations between the 12 appropriations bills. Since then, committees have been
On Tuesday, November 19, the National Prevention Science Coalition with support from the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus conducted a Capitol Hill briefing on the opioid crisis in terms of dependency and addiction. The briefing focused on how the significant difference between the two conditions and how policymakers misunderstandings are affecting pain management. A
On Tuesday, November 19, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and Congresswoman Alma S. Adams (D-NC), co-chairs of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, partnered with March of Dimes and First Focus to bring attention to the significant maternal health crisis happening in America today. “Mothers in our country are more likely to die giving birth than in
November is Native American Heritage Month in which the country recognizes the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of this nation. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Center for Native American Youth (CNAY) released the annual 2019 State of Native Youth Report: Native Youth Count and hosted an
On Monday, November 18, the House passed the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act (FSHO) (H.R. 4300) by unanimous consent. Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH) stated that this is a “bill of the heart and that he is looking forward to working with his colleagues in the Senate to ensure this bill becomes law and that aging
The Children’s Trust Fund Alliance held a Congressional Briefing on Thursday, November 14, 2019, titled “Moving Upstream: What works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect.” The panel featured LaCrisha Rose from the Alliance National Parent Partnership Council and West Virginia Circle of Parents Network, Dr. Melissa Merrick from Prevent Child Abuse America,
On Wednesday, November 13, 2019, the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) hosted a facilitated discussion with representatives from child welfare and healthcare agencies from Colorado, Delaware, and New York. The webinar provided an overview of the treatment needs of pregnant women with substance use disorders and the effects of exposure to
On Tuesday, November 12, the University Based Child and Family Policy Consortium held a webinar, “Partnering to Serve Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care in Illinois,” explained the results of the Healthy Families Illinois (HFI) Home Visiting Pilot Program. Speakers included Jaime Russell from Children’s Home and Aid and Amy Dworsky from the University