On Monday, July 9 the Administration for Children and Families released their first guidance on the Family First Prevention Services Act. The program instruction (PI), ACYF-CB-PI-18-07 does not deal with the services component of the new law (see below for comment request) but directs states on how they need to amend their Title IV-E and
Last Thursday, when the House Appropriations Committee acted on their Labor-HHS-Education bill, Committee Republicans included an amendment that could promote discrimination in the placement and recruitment of children and parents based on gender and sexual preference. The amendment was offered by Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and it is similar to language and legislation sponsored by
On Thursday, July 12 the House Appropriations Committee passed their Labor-Health and Human Services and Education bill after two previous delays. Most of the votes cast were along party line with a great deal of the debate focused on immigration and family separation. In the end the bill was approved along party lines with several
Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee acted on their Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations and sent it on to the Senate floor for future consideration. On the other side of the Capitol Building, the House Appropriations Committee once again delayed action on the Labor-HHS-Education bill reported out by the Subcommittee. Their bill for FY 2019 has been delayed
On Friday, June 22, HHS issued their first request for comments on how to approach the issue of defining and listing services and practices that will qualify under the Family First Prevention Services Act. There is a very quick turn-around time with comments due by July 22. Under the Family First Act, HHS is to
Shaquita Ogleetree On Wednesday, June 6th, the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth in coordination with Florida’s Camelot Community Care held a youth-lead briefing titled: What’s next for me? Facing my future as I age out of care. A dynamic panel of eight young people between the ages of 18 through 22 and in foster care
Shaquita Ogletree Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R-AZ) discussed policies to protect children and treat parents recently implemented in his state recently. At a forum sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Governor described the Opioid Epidemic Act. It has several provisions to reform child welfare including ensuring the court system moves faster with a
In March the Nebraska Foster Care Review Office (FCRO) issued their quarterly report that took an up-close look at children that re-enter foster care. In that closer look at the children and youth in foster care they found a much more significant number of children in foster care who had been in foster care at
Also addressing the Wednesday CWLA gathering were four key legislative staffers from the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. The bipartisan group included Anne DeCesaro, House Republican Staff, Morna Miller, House Democratic staff, Laura Berntsen, Senator Ron Wyden, and Ryan Martin, Senator Orrin Hatch. The bipartisan group used a power point
Part of the CWLA National Conference includes the release of CWLA 2018 legislative agenda and supporting materials on the reauthorization of the JJDPA, preservation of SSBG, preserving the ACA and Medicaid, the dangers of block grants, but the main talking points for Capitol Hill will focus on greater funding through the Title IV-B programs to
