September is Kinship Care Month! Celebrating Kinship Caregiving Families

This September 2021, please join CWLA for a special recognition of all the relatives, extended family members, and tribes and clans who provide round-the-clock protecting and nurturing for children, either through informal family arrangements or child protective services. Nearly three million kinship caregivers across the country provide safety, support, cultural ties, and affection for the children

GAO Report On Child Welfare: Pandemic Posed Challenges, but also Created Opportunities

A new GAO report: CHILD WELFARE Pandemic Posed Challenges, but also Created Opportunities for Agencies to Enhance Future Operations, includes the result of a survey of state and local child welfare agencies on the challenges of the past year. The challenges included child protective services, the legal system, providing support for families and workers in foster

Organizations Call for QRTP Facilities Exemption From IMD Restrictions

More than 500 organizations have signed a letter to Congress requesting that residential facilities that meet the new Family First Act “Qualified Residential Treatment Program” (QRTP) standards be exempt from being classified by Medicaid (CMS) as an Institution for Mental Diseases or “IMD.” The letter in part states: “(The Family First Prevention Services Act) FFPSA

Building the Path Forward: For Change in the Child Welfare System

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) eleven interns presented an experience and research-informed policy recommendation report in a Congressional Briefing entitled Building the Path Forward for Change in the Child Welfare System. The Foster Youth Interns (FYIs) shared their recommendations on a wide range of important topics, including maintaining sibling connections, racial equity, services for indigenous youth,

Over Million Children Worldwide Lose Primary Caregiver Due to Pandemic

A new study by The Lancet, Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study, determined that over 1.1 million children were “orphaned” by the pandemic last year.    These children lost their primary caregiver parent(s) or grandparent(s) due to Covid-19. The total includes more than 113,708 children in

Ohio State University (OSU), College of Social Work Kinship Care Study

The research team is seeking to learn about the needs of kinship caregivers, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to recommend to local and national decision-makers the types of programs, services, and policies that best support this population. The study is recruiting child welfare professionals who have been working in the

House Committee Moves Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations

Last week the House Appropriations Committee passed through the subcommittee (Monday, July 12, 2021) and then through the full committee on Wednesday (July 14, 2021) the appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS).  The $253 billion appropriations for the three departments passed out of full committee by a vote

Ohio State University (OSU), College of Social Work Kinship Care Study

The research team is seeking to learn about the needs of kinship caregivers, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to recommend to local and national decision-makers the types of programs, services, and policies that best support this population. The study is recruiting child welfare professionals who have been working in the

Less Than 2 in 5 Children Now Covered by Federal Foster Care Funding

In the federal fiscal year 2020, only 39 percent of children in foster care were covered by federal Title IV-E foster care funding. For the first time, the percentage of children not eligible for Title IV-E foster care exceeds 60 percent. That also means that Title IV-E administrative costs and services do not extend to more than

Supreme Court Uphold Catholic Charities Side in Philadelphia Case

In a complex unanimous decision in the Philadelphia V Fulton case, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Catholic Charities’ ability to continue to receive funding through the City of Philadelphia for child welfare services. The opinion that gathered all nine justices in varied configurations would appear to apply mainly to the specific circumstances in that contract and city.

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