KatiM

About Kati Mapa

Kati Mapa is CWLA's Director of Public Policy.

Leaked: Administration Plans to Request Massive Cuts to HHS

On April 16th, 2025, the press reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is planning to propose massive cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget in the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request, according to a leaked draft. The document, called a “passback,” has not been finalized and

HHS Restructuring Hits ACF Hard

Two weeks ago, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kennedy announced that HHS was being restructured, laying out a vague framework with little detail available. On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the plan came into somewhat clearer focus as HHS began its reduction in force (RIF) procedure and started laying off nearly 10,000 HHS staff.

Congress Averts Shutdown, Cuts Funding Levels

The House of Representatives passed their Continuing Resolution (CR) to the fund the government through September 30th on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in a mostly party-line 217-213 vote. Representative Golden (D-ME) was the only House Democrat to vote for the bill and Representative Massie (R-KY) was the only House Republican to vote against it. Later

Trump Administration Resumes Family Detention, Holds Families in Texas Facility

Last week, news broke that the Trump Administration resumed family detention of immigrants in a South Texas facility. The practice of family detention was largely halted, but not abolished, during the Biden administration. Children Thrive Action Network, of which CWLA is a member, released a statement condemning this development. From the statement: “This action is

Child Maltreatment 2023 Report

On January 8, 2025, the Children’s Bureau released the annual child abuse and neglect report: Child Maltreatment 2023. This year’s report shows a continued decrease in child maltreatment; it reveals that of the nationally estimated 3,081,715 children who were the subject of a child welfare agency response in FY 2023, 546,159 children were determined to

118th Congress Wrap Up

In the early hours of December 21, 2024, the Senate wrapped up the 118th Congress by passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 14th, extending the Appropriations deadline into the new Congress. The Senate passed several House-passed bills in their wrap-up session, including the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, which

Congress Kicks Off New Session By Promising Cuts

The 119th Congress officially began on January 3, 2025, when Vice President Harris certified the election results and the new members of Congress were sworn in. There are several major funding negotiations to come over the next six months, from Appropriations to reconciliation to the debt ceiling, and the Majority party has laid out a

Biden Administration: Final Publications

In the last weeks of the Biden Administration, Executive offices pushed out numerous new rules, policies, and information memoranda. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released the following: Best Practices for Serving Young People Transitioning From Foster Care This Information Memorandum (IM) provides information on best practices for providing quality programs and services to

Senate Finance Hearing on Youth Residential Treatment

On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: Examining Failures and Evaluating Solutions.” Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) opened the hearing by announcing the publication of a report, Warehouses of Neglect: How Taxpayers are Funding Systemic Abuse in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities. The Senate Finance Committee and Senate

Intersection of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

Evident Change and the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab at Drexel University are proud to share “At the Intersection of Child Welfare and Juvenile Legal System Involvement: Research Strategies for Policy and Practice Change.” This paper outlines a research agenda to address needs and challenges faced by dual-system youth, or those who are involved

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