The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on June 8, 2023 titled "Why Are So Many American Youth in a Mental Health Crisis?” exploring causes and solutions to examine the mental health issues youth face and the need for an improved infrastructure for mental health care. Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
On June 7, 2023, the House Agriculture Committee held a hearing entitled “Innovation, Employment, Integrity, and Health: Opportunities for Modernization in Title IV” to discuss how to proceed with the Farm Bill, which is set to expire later this year. Though children were not the main focus of this hearing, they make up a significant
The National Family Support Network released the "Uncovering America's Best-Kept Secret: Family Centers Webinar," which created a comprehensive summary of the importance of Family Resource Centers (FRCs) and Family Resource Center Networks for children, youth, and families' health and well-being. FRCs commonly provide services around parenting support, parent leadership development, access to resources, child development
A publication released by the Child Welfare Information Gateway in 2023 provides a legal overview of the rights and supports available to youth in foster care who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or other gender or sexual identities), children who are often subjected to adverse experiences while in care.
In the House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing titled "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education," on May 16, 2023, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended the proposed education budget of the Biden administration. The proposed budget includes an increase of $10.8 billion from fiscal 2023, with increased funding for programs
The Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new data brief, “Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy,” on May 8, 2023. The brief examines the experiences of teenagers and young adults in foster care as reported by all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The brief
The Urban Institute hosted a webinar on March 7, 2023, that reviewed their recent research report on Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs). The report highlights the various barriers that prevent youth in foster care from attending higher education and ultimately had a sample inclusion of over 125,000 young people (ages 16 and above) in foster
On March 8th, 2023, House Ways and Means Work & Welfare Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth Co-chair Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) re-introduced the Foster Youth and Driving Act, legislation that would increase the economic and social independence of youth in care by helping them obtain their driver’s licenses.
States, territories, and tribes have the option to request federal Chafee and Education and Training Voucher (ETV) funds that were not spent in other states. The funds that are potentially available for reallotment for FY 2023 are funds that were initially allocated in FY 2021, which includes unspent Division X funds. It is likely that
On Wednesday, February 15th, First Focus on Children and The Education Trust hosted a webinar to educate on struggles that may arise with the reauthorization of the FARM Bill this year. Katie Bergh, Senior Policy Analyst for the Food Assistance Team at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, spoke about her previous experience with
