On Monday, August 16, 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a re-evaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, used to calculate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. As a result, for the first time in more than 45 years, the Thrifty Food Plan is being updated, and the average SNAP benefit will increase for the
A new GAO report: CHILD WELFARE Pandemic Posed Challenges, but also Created Opportunities for Agencies to Enhance Future Operations, includes the result of a survey of state and local child welfare agencies on the challenges of the past year. The challenges included child protective services, the legal system, providing support for families and workers in foster
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) eleven interns presented an experience and research-informed policy recommendation report in a Congressional Briefing entitled Building the Path Forward for Change in the Child Welfare System. The Foster Youth Interns (FYIs) shared their recommendations on a wide range of important topics, including maintaining sibling connections, racial equity, services for indigenous youth,
The JAMA Network new research study, Characteristics and Precipitating Circumstances of Suicide Among Children Aged 5 to 11 Years in the United States, 2013-2017, examined the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), revealing that suicide is the eighth leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 11 years. Childhood suicide risk factors included mental health, prior
The House of Representatives moved on two significant bills last week that included funding for 9 of the 12 appropriations bills. The first “minibus” appropriations rolled together seven bills, including the appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (Labor-HHS), Agriculture, Energy and Water, Financial Services, Interior, Military Construction, and Transportation-Housing are rolled
A new study by The Lancet, Global minimum estimates of children affected by COVID-19-associated orphanhood and deaths of caregivers: a modelling study, determined that over 1.1 million children were “orphaned” by the pandemic last year. These children lost their primary caregiver parent(s) or grandparent(s) due to Covid-19. The total includes more than 113,708 children in
The National Health Collaborative on Violence and Abuse, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Futures Without Violence, held its annual Capitol Hill briefing on Maternal Mortality and Intimate Partner Violence on Thursday, July 22, 2021. The briefing featured a diverse array of speakers from medical, advocacy, and research backgrounds and messages from Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI) and
The research team is seeking to learn about the needs of kinship caregivers, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to recommend to local and national decision-makers the types of programs, services, and policies that best support this population. The study is recruiting child welfare professionals who have been working in the
The Child Tax Credit, part of the American Rescue Plan, is here to help families raising children make ends meet. Experts estimate that the new Child Tax Credit has the potential to cut child poverty in half. We need your help to spread the word and raise awareness of this major tax relief for working families.
Families have started to receive their monthly payments of the expanded Child Tax Credit!! Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, families can receive up to $300 per month for children under the age of 6, and $250 per month for children ages 6-17. As state and local community-based organizations, you know how important these resources are