On Friday June 3rd, 2022, House Ways and Means Worker & Family Support Subcommittee Chairman Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth Co-chair Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) introduced the Foster and Youth Driving Act, legislation that would increase the economic and social independence of youth in care by helping them obtain their
On Thursday, June 2nd, the House Judiciary Committee approved the “Protecting our Kids Act,” a wide-ranging package of gun control legislation, as a response to the tragic shootings in recent weeks. After a long session in the middle of what was supposed to be a recess, the committee voted along party lines to approve the
On May 25, 2022, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing, “The Infant Formula Crises,” listening to testimonies relating to the effect of the crisis. Witnesses were Ms. Ginger Carney, the Director of Clinical Nutrition at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ms. Sarah Chamberlin, the Executive
This week, Congress and the White House took steps to address the nationwide baby formula shortage, seeking to ease the burden especially for families with low incomes and those who need hypoallergenic formula for babies with milk allergies. On Wednesday, May 18th, the House passed the Access to Baby Formula Act, a bill led by
On May 11th, 2022, a briefing titled “Supporting Higher Education Success for Youth With Experience in Foster Care and Homelessness: A Briefing on Four Legislative Proposals that Can Make A Difference,” was hosted by Schoolhouse Connection, John Burton Advocates for Youth and the Youth Law Center, in collaboration with the offices of Representative Danny Davis
In an issue brief dated April 18, 2022, the National Association of Medicaid Directors has highlighted that The IMD exclusion can make it challenging for state Medicaid programs to meet the behavioral health needs of their members. Specifically, there are challenges accessing inpatient services and contradictions with other policy goals. NAMD suggests three opportunities for
According to Politico, the four top Democratic and Republican appropriators met on Thursday, April 28th, 2022, to begin negotiations on a budget for fiscal year 2023. The stated goal is to have the top-line defense and non-defense numbers locked in before summer, the first step in setting the budget. The House Appropriations Committee has ambitions
The CLWA recommends Congress extend foster care to age 21 so that every young person in foster care will have an option to stay in care, resulting in improved education, housing, and employment outcomes. In 2008, Congress passed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (PL 110-351). That law gave states the option
Tuesday, April 5th, 2022 the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on several important bills, including H.R. 7236, the Strengthening Kids' Mental Health Now Act. If enacted, H.R. 7236 would expand the availability of mental, emotional, and behavioral health services under the Medicaid program. This bipartisan legislation would bolster the infrastructure for
The final appropriations for FY 2022 sharply reduced the significant increases in children’s and child welfare programs compared to what the House had adopted last July. Many of the House increases had adopted the Biden Administration request in their first budget request. Within CAPTA, state grants receive $95 million which represents an increase of $5
