The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Center on Children and the Law recently released its Youth in Court toolkit. The toolkit provides a basic framework of adolescent brain science, a legal overview of laws relating to youth engagement in case planning and court hearings, and tips for attorneys and judges to engage youth and support their
Child Trends released a report, sponsored by Youth Villages, on “Funding Supports and Services for Young People Transitioning from Foster Care” to address existing funding supports and services that do not adequately cover the types of intensive supports and skill development that many young people transitioning from foster care need. Nineteen child welfare leaders across
On Thursday, September 26, the Senate Committee on Appropriations unanimously approved the FY2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill (S.2584) including funding for the $7.6 billion for the 2020 Decennial Census (an increase of $3.7 billion). Appropriations to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
Last week, the House Financial Services Committee unanimously voted to send “The Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act (H.R. 4300) (FSHO) to the House for a full vote. FSHO would give preference in housing vouchers to youth transitioning from foster care. The bill, which has bipartisan support, led by Congressman Mike Turner (D-OH) and Steve Stivers
On September 20, 2019 a Federal District Court in Maryland rejected a challenge to Maryland’s recent law that prohibits conversion therapy of minor children. A Maryland psychotherapist, Christopher Doyle, claimed that the law violated his religious freedom. The plaintiff was supported by the Liberty Counsel based in Orlando Florida. Conversion therapy generally seeks to change
Last week the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (Approps Labor H) held hearings to discuss family separation policy and the conditions of children placed in the Office of Refugee and Resettlement (ORR) facilities based on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) report, “Care Provider
On Friday, September 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided guidance on whether or not the new classification of Quality Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) will fall under the Medicaid classification as an Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs). There has been great concern that the new QRTP standards would cause these same child
The findings of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) report, Focus on Youth CFSR Findings: 2015-2017, published by the Children’s Bureau details how child welfare agencies are working with older youth between the ages of 16 and 17 in foster care. The report addressed the following questions: (1) How well do agencies meet the
On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, the Juvenile Law Center hosted a panel discussion on H.R.2300: Eliminating Debtor’s Prison for Kids Act of 2019. Sponsored by Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA), H.R. 2300 incentivizes states to end the costs, fines, and fees associated with the juvenile justice system—which are particularly harmful to children living in low-income and
On Tuesday, September 17, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) and the Schultz Family Foundation with the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus briefing “Workplace Ready: The Value of Mentoring in Improving Performance,” featured speakers to discussed the impact of workforce mentoring on young employees, companies and community partners. Speakers included Kelly Pavich from the Marriott Foundation,