Older youth, including transition-aged youth, in foster care, are most vulnerable during this public health pandemic because of placement instability, placement in congregate settings, disruptions to their education and employment, social isolation, and lack of access to health. This population is not able to rely on families for support and often will depend on the
Last week the Congressional Research Services released Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Increase Available for Title IV-E Foster Care and Permanency Payments, a brief description of how the Coronavirus relief package #2 will impact on foster care and adoption assistance funding. The Medicaid matching rate was raised for all state Medicaid programs by 6.2 percent.
As the IRS rolls out the implementation of the economic impact payments, they are still outlining some of the details on who is eligible and how they receive the checks, but coverage will include foster parents who filed either a tax return for 2018 or 2019 (this year’s income tax filing) and had a claim
On Tuesday, March 31, Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) urged the Trump Administration to provide guidance to child welfare agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. The letter was addressed to Vice President Mike Pence and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) Commission Elizabeth Darling urging for immediate relief for youth, support
On Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Children's Bureau and Think of Us hosted a Virtual Town Hall for Older Foster Youth. The hosts in order in which they spoke were: Sixto Cancel, co-founder and CEO of Think of Us, Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner at the Children's Bureau in the Administration of Children and Families
On Thursday, March 26, 2020, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) released six more Title IV-E Prevention Services programs and services ratings for the Title IV-E Prevention Services in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act. These practices include mental health services, substance abuse prevention and treatment services, in-home parent skill-based programs, and
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation contracted with Mathematica to provide the Planning Title IV-E Prevention Services: A Toolkit for States that can help states and their partners plan for the new IV-E Prevention Services Program. The toolkit provides information and resources for states
On Wednesday, March 18, 2020 the Children’s Bureau issued new guidance on certain key practices. Dear Child Welfare Leaders: “In light of the extraordinary circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide public health emergency, we are writing to advise you of some adjustments that we hope will allow you to continue to serve the
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, Associate Commissioner for the Children’s Bureau, Jerry Milner, called on child welfare agencies to look out for youth in foster care or formerly in foster care who are now on college campuses that may be closing. In many instances, these students may not have a home to return to if
The Children's Bureau released guidance on implementing funds appropriated by the Family First Transition Act, passed in December 2019 by Congress. The Program Instruction, ACYF-CB-PI-20-04, provides guidance States, Territories, and Indian Tribes about what they must do to receive the one-time Family First Prevention Services Act Transition Grant. The $500 million are available to all
