The Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ended on May 11th, 2023. Many of the health policies were changed or extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2023 last December, allowing for more gradual transitions. One item decided in the CAA omnibus was that Medicaid and CHIP redeterminations could begin on April 1st, 2023,
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen announced on May 1 that the nation could hit its existing debt ceiling as soon as June 1, 2023, mere weeks away and sooner than had previously been expected. The Treasury is currently using "extraordinary measures" to continue paying the country's debt. Following this announcement, President Biden invited Congressional
The Children's Bureau's National Foster Care Month campaign recognizes the important role that members from all parts of child welfare play in supporting children, youth, and families. This year’s theme, “Strengthening Minds. Uplifting Families.” highlights the need to take a holistic and culturally responsive approach to supporting the mental health needs of those involved with
On April 28th, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2021 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This survey is the largest public health surveillance system in the United States, monitoring a broad range of health-related behaviors among high school students. The 2021 surveys were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and
On Friday, April 14th, the U.S. Department of Education released new guidance on the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) regarding youth who are self-supporting or at risk of homelessness. SchoolHouse Connection lauded the new guidance as a positive change and called on those assisting youth experiencing homelessness to review the guidance to
CWLA submitted a public comment in the Federal Register in support of the proposed rule that would allow Title IV-E agencies to adopt separate licensing requirements for kinship family caregivers. "The proposed changes will remove barriers for children to be cared for by their relatives and kin and will decrease burdens on the child welfare
On Thursday April 6th, 2023, Secretary Miguel Cardona of the Department of Education announced a proposed rule that would update Title IX to clarify guidelines for participation in school athletics. Title IX aims to protect students in schools that receive federal funding from sex-based discrimination and ensure fairness, and this rule aims to expand upon
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, President Biden announced that hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children will be eligible for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. This action will allow participants in the Obama-era’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to access government-funded health
On April 18, 2023, the White House released a statement outlining a new executive order to expand and improve the care economy. The order includes directives to officials to increase the accessibility and affordability of child care, improve veteran care, support early educators and care staff, and much more. The Biden Administration, through the American
On April 19th, 2023, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued an Information Memorandum (IM) informing title IV-B and IV-E agencies that the Stafford Act flexibilities offered by the Children’s Bureau in response to the COVID-19 pandemic disaster declarations will expire June 30, 2023. These flexibilities included meeting fingerprint-based background check requirements, caseworker visits
