Advocacy

Tax Package Still Stalled in Senate

The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, the tax bill that includes a small but significant expansion to the child tax credit, continues to be stalled in the Senate after passing the House in a 357-72 vote, a major win in a Congress that has not been marked by bipartisan agreement and has

Giving Children a Voice: Legal Representation Webinar

In the webinar entitled, Giving Children a Voice, there was a discussion regarding the benefits of client directed council among the panelists. Two of the panelists were Allison Green and Natalece Washington from the National Association of Counsel for Children. The other three were, J. Kendall Seal, Tom Jose, and Tim Keller representing the Center

National Kinship Convening Hosted in Washington, D.C.

On March 14, 2024, Think of Us in partnership with the Children’s Bureau hosted the National Convening on Kinship Care to discuss the new rule on Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes, which was finalized last fall. The convening kicked off with remarks from leadership of the Administration for Children and

House Committee Links Border and Foster Care

On March 5, 2024, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), joined by Work and Welfare Subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood (R-IL), called for the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) to launch an investigation into how the influx of Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) crossing the southwest border may be

New Final Rule on Child Care

On February 28, 2024, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC) announced the final rule that will lower costs for families that receive child care subsidies, improve payment practices to child care providers, and increase families’ child care options. The new rule makes updates to the Child Care and Development

Funding Deadlines Loom While Tax Bill Stalls

The House and Senate will return from their Presidents’ Day recess this week without an agreement on the four funding bills that expire on March 1st, 2024, the end of this week. As previously reported, the House and Senate leadership were able to agree on topline numbers for the total FY 2024 budget that closely

House Field Hearing on Housing Policy

The Housing and Insurance Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee held a field hearing on Thursday, February 22, 2024, “Restoring Prosperity in American Communities: Examining the Failures of Status Quo Housing Policy.” Chairman Davidson (OH-R) stated that the American people have been adversely impacted by bad government decisions and failed federal housing policies. Further,

NPRM on Indian Child Welfare Data Collection

On February 22, 2024, the Biden Administration announced a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would update the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System to increase data collection on American Indian/Alaska Native children's status and experiences. “Over the years, tribal leaders have consistently advocated for ICWA-related data to be included in AFCARS and

Protecting Missing and Exploited Children Hearing

The hearing entitled, Protecting Missing and Exploited Children, was convened by the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and led by Chairman Bean (R-FL) advocated for the bipartisan Missing Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2023. The hearing addressed the significant increase in child exploitation and the critical role of

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