Last week, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) held their first Project THRIVE Policy Briefing of 2021. Project THRIVE is a collaborative, national campaign to support LGBTQ youth. During the briefing, HRC highlighted the Equality Act’s advances while calling attention to the attacks against the Transgender community occurring in State Legislatures. On February 25, the
Senate Democrats are hopeful they can complete action on the COVID-19 relief/reconciliation legislation sometime late this week. The goal is to have a package on the President’s desk before extended unemployment runs out on March 14, 2021. There was a major setback for advancing a minimum wage increase as part of the package on
On Monday, February 22, 2021, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) awarded the $344 million in additional Chafee program awards to states and participating territories and tribes. Attached is an allotment table showing the amount of the awards. The additional ETV awards and other supplemental grants have not yet been released but will be
On Thursday, February 24, 2021, the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services announced JooYeun Chang's appointment as the acting assistant secretary and principal deputy assistant secretary for the Biden Administration. Before this role, JooYeun served as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Services Agency
On Tuesday, February 23, and Wednesday, February 24, 2021, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra testified before the Senate HELP and Finance Committees in order to get a confirmation vote before the full Senate. HELP Committee Chair Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) offered high praise for the former Congressman by saying, “Given the urgency of this
On Tuesday, February 22, 2021, the Biden Administration moved to vacate the March Supreme Court hearing to consider whether or not the Trump Administration’s approval of work requirements through Medicaid waivers is legal. The Biden Administration is working to repeal the approval of those work waivers in a dozen states. On February 12, 2021,
On Thursday, February 25, 2021, the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) presented their resource guide, Reaching Youth At Risk for Substance Use and Misuse: Early Intervention Resources and Practices, developed with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Family Foundation. Adolescent substance use prevention is a priority for the Hilton Foundation and
On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, Foster Club and the Juvenile Law Center cohosted a webinar to support state advocates successfully implementing funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act. This webinar focused on how New Jersey implemented funds from the CARES Act to young people. New Jersey received $2.4 billion block grant to address emergent needs and New
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) created an emergency Special Enrollment Period (SEP) due to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) that would allow individuals and families to apply and enroll in the coverage they need, after President Biden Executive Order issued last month, January 28, 2021. Some of the life changes that can qualify
Last week the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released, Freeing Children for Adoption within the Adoption and Safe Families Act Timeline explores how frequently states make exceptions to the federal requirement that child welfare agencies file to terminate parental rights for children who remain in foster care for at least 15
