Last week Arkansas became the third child welfare agency to receive federal approval of the Family First Act plan, Family First Fits Us. Washington, DC and Utah are the other states with approved plans. Governor Asa Hutchinson stated “This plan highlights the enormous progress DCFS has made in the care of our foster children and
The Administration (through a request by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)) is seeking comments on how to change the U.S. poverty measure. Changes in the poverty measure would affect how and if people, states and communities qualify for federal programs and funding. To ensure consideration, the comments must be provided in writing no
On February 18, 2020, the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) report to Congress was released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The NYTD survey youth and young adults who experienced foster care and received independent living services under the Chafee Program as well as young adults’ outcomes. This report covers
On Wednesday, February 12, 2020, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell challenged the theory that our “generous” public assistance programs were encouraging able-bodied adults to stay out of the workforce. The comments came during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. Senator John Neely Kennedy (R-LA) was asking about why the labor participation rates among adults is not
In the Administration’s FY 2021, the Department of Justice requested $227.5 million in discretionary funding for the Juvenile Justice Programs, a decrease of $92.5 million below the FY 2020 Enacted level. Despite the recent reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), funding for the JJDPA has dropped by 40 percent since the
The Administration released its FY 2021 budget on Monday, February 10, 2020. This year’s budget, A Budget for America’s Future, proposes a number of human service cuts and human service funding increases but overall includes reductions in non-defense spending despite last year’s budget agreement. The President’s FY 2021 budget should be based on last summer’s
The Administration’s budget proposes a clarification under the Family First Act, the relationship between al Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTP), and the definition of Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) under the Medicaid program. Additionally, the Administration would allow ACF to better align the ratings of child welfare programs under the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse, the HHS
The Administration proposes the same level of funding for the two CAPTA-related grants for FY 2021 with an increase in one of the grants. State Grants would be funded at $90 million, Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CB-CAP) grants would be funded at $55 million, and CAPTA Discretionary Grants would be increased by $16 million to
Building on their Thursday, January 30, 2020, their Medicaid Healthy Adult Opportunity waiver proposal, the Administration proposes cuts to Medicaid of $920 billion over the next ten years. The reductions are the result of various restrictions, new requirements (such as work), and various block grant options, as evidenced by January waiver notice to states. Both
Joyce Black testified before the Senate Finance Committee on March 16, 1982. She stated that “children are barely surviving the fiscal year 1982 cuts and the proposed 1983 cuts will have disastrous results.” Black spoke about the AFDC cuts, the Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act, and block granting 96-272. Title