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
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 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
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
On January 14, 2021, the Children’s Bureau released the annual child abuse and neglect report: Child Maltreatment 2019. The numbers show a decrease in the rates of abuse and neglect for last year’s report, but infants and young children have the highest child maltreatment rates in their first year of life. For the federal fiscal year
One of the first critical decisions that will have to be worked out over the next several days is how President Biden will get his COVID-19 proposal through Congress. As a veteran senator who was also key to many of the Obama Administration’s congressional negotiations, he has raised hopes for bipartisan action, but that would
Among the dozens of Executive Orders signed or expected to be signed by President Biden starting on January 20, 2021, were: an extension on a freeze on evictions and foreclosures through the end of March, a freeze on student loans, a repeal of President Trump order that attempted to stop diversity training by federal agencies,
On Thursday, January 21, 2021, the President issued his National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. The 200-page document outlines new and future executive orders and steps the Administration intends to take regarding COVID-19. Of particular interest for the child welfare community will be actions on Goal Five: Safely reopen schools, businesses, and travel