On February 28, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee hosted a hearing entitled, “The Equal Rights Amendment: How Congress Can Recognize Ratification and Enshrine Equality in Our Constitution.” Presiding Chair, Senator Dick Durban (D-IL), led the hearing and was followed by two rounds of panelists and a period of Q&A time with committee members. The hearing
On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the Biden Administration proposed a new rule that would reduce the number of refugees that are able to seek asylum in the United States. Under this rule, most asylum seekers who cross into the United States between ports of entry or who present themselves at a port of entry without
A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry indicates that childhood adversity leaves a mark on the brain, changing regions that process stress and trauma. By analyzing MRI scans, researchers found small differences in certain brain structures that they believe could accumulate over time and lead to mental health problems later. Black children were
On February 16th, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order to support the advancement of racial equity and service to underserved communities, specifically in federal agencies. Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor, and Shalanda Young, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, hosted a briefing on the content of the
On Tuesday, December 6, 2022 the National Foster Care Youth & Alumni Policy Council released a priority statement entitled Supporting Immigrant Children and Youth in Foster Care. Council members consulted with experts in immigration and foster care and polled current and youth formerly in foster care for their insight. The Council has forwarded three priorities:
On December 15th, the Trevor Project released the 2022 U.S. National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. For the first time, the report presents findings on the experiences of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ people ages 13-24 in the U.S., segmented by all 50 states. From the summary: “These data provide critical insights into the suicide risk
The House of Representatives passed the amended Respect for Marriage Act on Thursday, December 8th, 2022, in a 258-169-1 vote. Thirty-nine Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting the measure, which had previously been passed in the House in July of this year. The bill now awaits President Biden’s signature, which is likely to happen in
Politico reports that as conservative states pass legislation to block gender-affirming care for minors, families with trans children are leaving to protect their children. Almost 2 percent of high schoolers in the U.S. identify as trans, according to Politico, and they report starkly higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues compared
On Wednesday, November 9th, 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Brackeen v. Haaland case about the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). “After more than three hours of oral argument, several justices expressed doubt about specific provisions of the wide-ranging law, even if they did not appear inclined to strike
On October 27th, CWLA hosted Protect ICWA, a webinar panel to discuss the importance of the Indian Child Welfare Act. This webinar comes shortly before the Supreme Court hears Haaland v. Brackeen, a case seeking to declare ICWA unconstitutional. The case is scheduled for argument on November 9th. Panelists for CWLA’s webinar were Angela Connor
