This week, a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter was circulated in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Congressmen Frank Mrvan (D-IN), and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). As the Dear Colleague says: Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid crisis led to an increase in the number of children in foster
CWLA and other national and state groups signed a letter calling on the President to make permanent the improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC). The American Rescue Plan (ARP) includes significant, but temporary, improvements to the CTC, the EITC and
On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, President Biden celebrated the 11th anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by extending the current open enrollment until August 15, 2021. The announcement extends a special pandemic-related enrollment period that had started on February 15 and was to last until May 15, 2021. It is also an
On Monday, March 22, 2021, National Foster Youth Institute hosted Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska (R-NE) and Representative Dan Kildee of Michigan (D-MI) to discuss the reintroduction of the bipartisan Fostering Postsecondary Success for Foster and Homeless Youth Act. There is a deficit in support for foster and homeless youth. Around 14% of foster youth complete
This is a continuation of last week’s description of the American Rescue Plan Act. 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 addresses many issues that have received increased focus because of this past year’s struggles (racial and regional inequities within the
On Tuesday, March 16, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 485 – Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) by 345-73, and now it heads to the Senate. It proposes robust funding increases for states and local communities to implement strategies and programs that prevent child abuse is critical to strengthen families and protecting
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, a panel of experts discussed how businesses, nonprofits, and the government could work together to address diaper needs, a growing public health issue. Before the pandemic, 1 in 5 babies lived in poverty, and 1 in 3 families struggled to afford diapers. Now, the pandemic has exacerbated this need which
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, the House of Representatives passed HR 1620, the bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, in a vote of 244-172. This legislation protects and provides resources for victims of domestic abuse and sexual abuse. With the pandemic and economic crisis increasing the risks of abuse and the barriers to safety for
On Thursday, March 18, 2021, the House of Representatives voted 228 to 197 for HR 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. The legislation is actually two immigration-related bills, with one dealing with young people seeking citizenship and a second bill dealing with farmworkers provisions. The legislation’s main feature is to allow certain young people and
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
