The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), in collaboration with the American Public Human Services Administration (APHSA), have released new resources aimed at improving collaboration between the alcohol and other drug (AOD) and child welfare systems. Research has shown that if left untreated, parental substance use disorders (SUD) can have a
On April 27, 2023, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve recruitment, retention, and support for foster parents. Across the nation, states are facing a growing shortage of appropriate foster placement for children, undermining federal legislation and policy that has pushed to reduce the use of congregate care and
The House passed HR 2, The Secure the Border Act, on Thursday, May 11, 2023, with no Democratic support and with two Republican votes against the bill. HR 2 would require millions of dollars of funds to beef up security at the border, place restrictions on asylum, and restart construction on the controversial wall at
The Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ended on May 11th, 2023. Many of the health policies were changed or extended in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2023 last December, allowing for more gradual transitions. One item decided in the CAA omnibus was that Medicaid and CHIP redeterminations could begin on April 1st, 2023,
The Annie E. Casey Foundation released a new data brief, “Fostering Youth Transitions 2023: State and National Data to Drive Foster Care Advocacy,” on May 8, 2023. The brief examines the experiences of teenagers and young adults in foster care as reported by all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The brief
ZERO TO THREE and Morning Consult released new poll findings showing that the vast majority of parents of infants and toddlers believe that addressing the needs of children and families in the upcoming 2024 federal budget should be a priority. Key poll findings include: Nearly 9 in 10 of parents with infants and toddlers believe
Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen announced on May 1 that the nation could hit its existing debt ceiling as soon as June 1, 2023, mere weeks away and sooner than had previously been expected. The Treasury is currently using "extraordinary measures" to continue paying the country's debt. Following this announcement, President Biden invited Congressional
The House is planning to vote on their signature immigration package, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, this week. House Republicans have made immigration a focus issue this Congress and have held hearings about border security in multiple committees. This bill has had two separate markups in the House Homeland Security and House Judiciary
A new study from researchers at Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NI), suggest that well-funded anti-poverty measures can improve both brain development and mental health in children. Past research has shown that childhood poverty has a negative long-term impact along various outcome measures, like lower
On Wednesday, April 26th, 2023, House Republicans passed their budget and debt limit bill along party lines. As noted last week, the legislation would raise the debt ceiling into next year in exchange for freezing spending at last year’s levels for a decade — a nearly 14 percent cut — as well as rolling back
