Out-of-Home Care

National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council Identifies Council Priorities and Urges Implementation of Older Youth Pandemic Relief

On Thursday, April 29, 2021, the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council held a webinar to discuss opportunities and priorities available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.   A partnership between Foster Care Alumni of America, FosterClub, and Casey Family Programs, the council's mission is to strategically gather the voices and experiences

CWLA 2021 Legislative Agenda & Hot Topics

Following CWLA’s 2021 Virtual Conference will be Virtual Hill Day on Wednesday, May 12th, in which we are asking CWLA members and Conference registrants to go to Capitol Hill to virtual meet their members of Congress to educate them on key child welfare legislation.   The 2021 CWLA Legislative Agenda, which lays out key priorities for

Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA) Reforms on the Agenda

Recently Bethany Christian Services released a report detailing what their agencies have learned over this past year due to the pandemic. The report includes a number of observations and some proposed reforms. One of those reforms is a revaluation of a 1994 law called the Multi-Ethic Placement Act (MEPA) and, more specifically, a rollback of changes made

Older Youth Pandemic Relief: Summary and Highlights of the Program Instruction (Part II)

On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, FosterClub and Juvenile Law Center with Youth Villages provided a second summary of the older youth sections of the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act program instructions and highlighted key areas to support the implementation of the law.   This webinar specifically provided the summary and highlights

Child Trends Child Welfare Spending Report Out, TANF Reporting Adds to Picture

Child Trends has released the new biennial report on state spending on child welfare, Child Welfare Financing SFY 2018, and it shows little dramatic difference from previous years. Total child welfare agency expenditures increased by 6 percent from SFY 2016 to SFY 2018, but only by 2 percent over the past decade. That may not be

New Guidance & Instructions to the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Children’s Bureau released guidance on implementing funds appropriated by The Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act, included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act that passed in December 2020 by Congress. The Program Instruction, ACYF-CB-PI-21-04, provides guidance and instructions for the John H. Chafee Foster Care Programs for Successful Transition to

Temporary Flexibilities for Title IV-E Kinship Navigator Program

The Children’s Bureau released the program instructions, ACYF-CB-PI-21-05, for IV-E agencies authorizing programmatic flexibilities from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, for Kinship Navigator Programs. Currently, none of the kinship navigator program models have received an evidence-based standard of practice from the IV-E Clearinghouse, and agencies have not been able to draw down IV-E prevention

The American Rescue Act: What’s In It (Part 1)

The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure has a lot in it that directly and indirectly addresses the impact of this year-long pandemic. It includes several issues that have received increased focus because of this past year’s struggles (for example, the racial and regional inequities within the economy and health care system). There are limited added funds specific

ACF Fails to Monitor States’ Compliance in Implementing the CAPTA GAL Requirement

Last week, the Health and Human Service (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a new report confirming that HHS's Administration for Children and Families (ACF) cannot ensure that all children who have been abused or neglected have court representation during judicial proceedings. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) mandates that a State

Many Other Critical Positions at HHS Filled

In addition to the Children’s Bureau, other critical appointments included Katie Hamm, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Early Childhood Development; Dr. Bernadine Futrell, Director Office of Head Start; Cindy Huang, Director Office of Refugee Resettlement; and Dr. Lanikque Howard, Director Office of Community Services.   Hamm has a lengthy resume in the child care arena.

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