Healthy Growth & Development in Child Welfare

Kinship Briefing on Navigator Programs

Shaquita Ogletree The Congressional Foster Youth Caucus hosted a Kinship Navigator Programs Roundtable Discussion on May 23. Congressperson Karen Bass (D-CA), Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA) and Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) all offered remarks before the panel discussion. The panel discussion included one of the Shadow Day interns (see below) Brittany from Michigan who shared her

TANF Reauthorization Passes Committee, Floor Vote Unclear

On Wednesday, May 23 the House Ways and Means Committee held at markup of their TANF reauthorization bill, the JOBS bill (HR 5861) with a final vote of approval cast the following morning. Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said, after the partisan vote of 24 to 12 for approval, “The JOBS for Success Act restores the

Health Solutions For Families Affected By Abuse and Other Trauma

Shaquita Ogletree The National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse (NHCVA) and Futures Without Violence sponsored a briefing last month, Health Solutions to Women, Children, and Families Affected by Trauma and Abuse. The panel included the First Lady of Massachusetts, Lauren Baker, Sabrina Matoff-Stepp, Office of Women’s Health, HHS, Tiffany Flowers, Pathways Counseling Center, Iowa,

Youth Awareness and Prevention On Opioids

Shaquita Ogletree On May 22, the Hill newspaper sponsored another of their series of forums on opioids, America’s Opioid Epidemic: Youth Awareness & Prevention. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) spoke about her state having the highest opioid death rate per capita in the United States and how the state is struggling with the multiple families

Kinship Navigator Funds Released

The Children’s Bureau has released instructions (ACYF-CB-PI-18-05) on how states can draw down $20 million in FY 2018 Kinship Navigator funds. The $20 million was added as part of the March-approved FY 2018 appropriations bills. It was attached to Title IV-B part 2, Promoting Safe and Stable Families. Unlike the Kinship-Navigator funds (which require programs

Administration Looks to Military Bases to Separate Children from Families

A report by the Washington Post last week indicates that the Administration is preparing to use of military bases to hold immigrant children who are either unaccompanied minors or are being split apart from their families. The Post obtained an email notification sent to Pentagon staff. HHS will make visits at four military installations in

House Republican Leaders Push Back on DACA

Last Wednesday, May 16, House Republican leaders, led by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) warned off members against a discharge vote on DACA. He told members in a closed door meeting that was widely reported that if the election were held now House Republicans would hold the House but if they pushed a vote on

HRC Releases Survey-Study of LGBTQ Youth

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released a 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report. The report is based on a survey of more than 12,000 young people aged 13 through 17. The survey was conducted in 2017 by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and researchers at the University of Connecticut. The report states, “Parents and families play

Some House Republicans Push DACA Floor Vote

A handful of House Republicans led by Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) are attempting a long shot bid to force a vote on a DACA bill. The long shot is that they are using a seldom used House action to discharge a bill from committee. Curbelo filed the discharge petition and now they need to get

House Committee Unveils TANF Reauthorization

The House Ways and Means Human Resources Subcommittee held a hearing, “Jobs and Opportunity: Legislative Options to Address the Jobs Gap,” with the purpose to unveil a TANF reauthorization. The reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) was a Republican bill but in some respects was not as conservative as some had projected.

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