On April 16th, 2025, the press reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is planning to propose massive cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget in the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request, according to a leaked draft. The document, called a “passback,” has not been finalized and
In the early hours of December 21, 2024, the Senate wrapped up the 118th Congress by passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 14th, extending the Appropriations deadline into the new Congress. The Senate passed several House-passed bills in their wrap-up session, including the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, which
On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: Examining Failures and Evaluating Solutions.” Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) opened the hearing by announcing the publication of a report, Warehouses of Neglect: How Taxpayers are Funding Systemic Abuse in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities. The Senate Finance Committee and Senate
On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, CWLA submitted comments for the record about the recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, “The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement.” From the comments: “While this legislation offers important advancements in child welfare policy, orienting Federal funding and attention toward the prevention of foster care, the
On May 22, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement.” Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), one of the original sponsors and champions of the legislation, opened the hearing with some of the history of the passage of the bipartisan Family First Prevention Services
The Trevor Project released its 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, which amplifies the experiences of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. The survey finds: 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year — including 46%
On May 10th, 2024, the House Ways and Means Committee held a Field Hearing on “Empowering Native American and Rural Communities,” in Arizona, the first Ways and Means Committee hearing ever to be held on sovereign Tribal land. Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) opened the hearing and outlined the issues being discussed, particularly child support, child
On February 22, 2024, the Biden Administration announced a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would update the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System to increase data collection on American Indian/Alaska Native children's status and experiences. “Over the years, tribal leaders have consistently advocated for ICWA-related data to be included in AFCARS and
On Thursday, January 25, 2024, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) conducted a webinar, “Culture is Healing: Removing Barriers from Culturally Responsive Services.” The panel provided a comprehensive discussion surrounding the necessity of culturally-informed and community-based supportive services for families and children of color that are often disproportionately underserved or inappropriately served.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced the release of the All Children - All Families team's latest report, The State of LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Child Welfare. As is highlighted in the report, we are ecstatic to announce that the ACAF program reached a record-breaking 172 child welfare agencies employing over 30,500 professionals and serving more than
