The Government Accountability Office (GAO) latest report on “Foster Care: Education Could Help States Improve Educational Stability for Youth in Foster Care,” examined the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provisions related to the educational stability of youth in foster care. ESSA requirements as it relates to improving educational stability for youth in
On October 16, 2019, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) and Kidsave presented a special screening of the A&E documentary series “The Day I Picked My Parents.” NBC-4 veteran reporter and creator of the Wednesday’s Child program, Barbara Harrison, opened up the briefing discussing the role that the Freddie Mac Foundation had on helping
On October 16, 2019, the YWCA held a briefing entitled Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Domestic Violence and Trauma, which featured community-level panelists representing YWCA programs across the nation. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke about his work with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), which aims to provide
Tuesday, October 15 from 2pm to 3pm is the final #CAPTA Day of Action – take 5 minutes to show your support on social media and encourage others to take action for CAPTA and CAPTA reauthorization. In addition to raising awareness throughout your network, Twitter is a great way to contact your elected officials. Be
On October 10, 2019, The Chronicle of Social Change, released its third annual analysis of the nation’s foster care housing crisis. Through the collection and analysis of state data and federal reporting, this year’s findings aim to address two critical questions: 1. How many children and youth are in foster care today? 2. Where and
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the only federal law that protects children and youth in the justice system and address prevention services for at-risk youth. JJDPA was passed in 1974 and most recently reauthorized in 2018. In 1980, Congress added the valid court order (VCO) exception to the Deinstitutionalization of Status
The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Center on Children and the Law recently released its Youth in Court toolkit. The toolkit provides a basic framework of adolescent brain science, a legal overview of laws relating to youth engagement in case planning and court hearings, and tips for attorneys and judges to engage youth and support their
Child Trends released a report, sponsored by Youth Villages, on “Funding Supports and Services for Young People Transitioning from Foster Care” to address existing funding supports and services that do not adequately cover the types of intensive supports and skill development that many young people transitioning from foster care need. Nineteen child welfare leaders across
Capitol Hill is working on a bipartisan deal that is intended to assist states to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would give states an added $500 million in child welfare funds, allowing states to spend more flexibly on the three categories of evidence-based services and create a guarantee of
The findings of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) report, Focus on Youth CFSR Findings: 2015-2017, published by the Children’s Bureau details how child welfare agencies are working with older youth between the ages of 16 and 17 in foster care. The report addressed the following questions: (1) How well do agencies meet the
