New Family First Clearinghouse Ratings Released in 2021

On Wednesday, February 10, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released four more Title IV-E Prevention Services programs and services ratings for the Title IV-E Prevention Services in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act.   The Family Check-UP® is a brief, strengths-based intervention model for children ages 2 through 17. Family Check-Up

Kinship Provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021

Generations United conducted a webinar on February 9, 2021, in collaboration with the Children’s Defense Fund and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law. This webinar discussed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and its implications for "grandfamilies." Divisions of the Appropriations Act outline provisions to help relative caregivers and allow the

Congress Begins Work on Reconciliation

This past week the Senate and House began to lay the groundwork for a budget reconciliation that could lead to the enactment of a Biden-COVID-19 relief package. The House began the process when it passed a budget resolution that provides the legislative authority to use reconciliation on Wednesday, and the Senate took up that resolution

President Biden Proposes to Expand the Child Tax Credit

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan includes expanding of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) with recommendations that the credit be made fully refundable and that the maximum benefit be increased from the current level of $2,000 per child for children zero to 16 years old to $3,600 per child under six years old and $3,000 per child ages

President Biden Signed Public Charge Executive Order

On February 2, 2021, President Biden issues an Executive Order directing the secretary of State (DOS), the attorney general (DOJ), the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the heads of other relevant agencies to review all agency actions related to implementation of the public charge ground of inadmissibility and deportability.   The Department of Homeland

USDA Announces Updates to Pandemic EBT

On January 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was increasing the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) by roughly 15 percent in support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger. This increase will provide more money to low-income families and millions of children due to child care and school closures.

Wyden Reintroduces the Child Safety Act

On Thursday, February 4, 2021, Senator Ron Wyden re-introduced the Invest in Child Safety Act.  The legislation, which CWLA has endorsed, was first introduced last year. It attempts to deal with the child sexual abuse problem that has exploded over the past few years as the use of the internet and related social media have expanded over

California’s Extended Foster Care and Youths’ Outcomes Report

On Friday, January 29, 2021, Dr. Mark Courtney, the University of Chicago professor and the Principal Investigator of the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH), reported an update of California’s Extended Foster Care research. To preface, the goal of Extended Foster Care (EFC) is to “promote human capital acquisition, positive social connections, and general

Older Youth Pandemic Relief

Last week, several groups presented on the provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed in December containing the bipartisan Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act (H.R. 7947). On Wednesday, February 3, the Juvenile Law Center and FosterClub hosted a webinar centered around distributing the COVID relief funds to youth across America.

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