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
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
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
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
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
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
In recognition and celebration of World Day Against Child Labor on June 12, 2024, the Child Labor Coalition and the Campaign to End U.S. Child Labor cohosted a congressional briefing to discuss the ongoing child labor crisis in America and proposed legislative solutions. Eliminating the exploitation of children in labor has been a goal since
On June 12, 2024, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for a hearing on combatting the youth vaping epidemic by enhancing enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes. Committee Chair, Senator Dick Durbin (D- IL), noted an alarming level of youth using e-cigarettes and the failure of federal agencies to protect children from the addiction associated with use. A
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hosted a hearing on June 12, 2024, titled “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Supporting Efforts to Meet the Needs of Youth, Workers, and Employers” to discuss the reauthorization of The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The opening statement provided by Chair Bernie Sanders
A briefing hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine focused on the report on Reducing Intergenerational Poverty, as well as the evidence-based policies and programs to address racial disparities. The presence of racial disparities in the intergenerational persistence of low-income status was highlighted with key statistics. 46% of Native Americans and 37%
