Final Senate Foster Youth Caucus Session Focuses on “Normalcy”

On Monday, December 12 the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth held their last round table discussion for 2016. This week’s discussion focused on foster care and “normalcy” or attempts to make foster care placements as family like as possible for children in care. The overview was provided by Jenny Pokempner from the Juvenile Law Center

Second Senate Foster Youth Caucus Session Focuses on Higher Ed

The Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, held the second in an on-going series of discussion on youth in foster care.  The event held on Wednesday, December 7, “A Focus on Older Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care: A Focus on Higher education Opportunities.”  The second session focused on some of the best approaches and

Families First Last Shot Could Be CR

The fate of the Families First Act, in these last few days of Congress rests with a continuing resolution as the last possible vehicle for enactment. Congressional sponsors are asking advocates to weigh-in with House and Senate leadership to move the bill as part of a CR that must be passed before Congress wraps up.  

Foster Youth Caucus Hosts Roundtable on Youth Aging Out

The Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, on Thursday, December 1, held the first of what is expected to be a series of Hill roundtable discussions on the challenges of youth in foster care. The first roundtable was “A Focus on Older Youth and Young Adults in Foster Care.” This forum began with opening comments by

Education Releases Guidance on JJ Youth Transition To School

On Friday, December 2, the Department of Education released guidance and resources on assisting young people juvenile justice placement in their transition back to traditional school settings. The assistance includes:   a guide is written for incarcerated youth; a newly updated transition toolkit and resource guide for practitioners in juvenile justice facilities; a document detailing education programs

Paper Outlines Need to Fix Medicaid Access for Youth Formerly in Foster Care

  The National Center for Children in Poverty has released a new policy paper on the status of Medicaid access for young people formerly in foster care.  The paper, FOSTERING HEALTH: The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Youth Transitioning from Foster Care, describes the impact of a provision in the ACA that requires that youth

Advocates Seek Greater Budget Help on Child Trafficking

In regard to letters to OMB, CWLA has signed onto a letter by the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) in support of increased funding to address trafficking including prevention and treatment.  The lengthy request covers a range of programs across the departments including the Victim Services Grants & Human Trafficking Task Forces, Minor

President Recognizes National Youth Justice Awareness Month  

The President has issued a proclamation recognizing the month of October as National Youth Justice Awareness Month. In the proclamation the President focuses much of his words on the juvenile justice system and the need for reforms.  He also calls on Congress to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) and highlights his support

Families First Act, Now What?

There was no vote on the Family First Prevention Services Act, (HR 5456, Conference Report 114-628) as Congress finished a budget deal last week Wednesday.  As a result, the bill still remains in the same place.  That means that it could be finished or dead for this Congress.  There could be one more run at

Tribal National Conference at White House

On Monday, September 26, the White House was the site for the eighth annual White House Tribal Nations Conference.  It was also the second White House Tribal Youth Gathering. The national convening is the result of a 2008 campaign promise by then candidate-Obama who made the commitment to hold regular convening’s when he made a

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