Senate Legislation

House Passes A JJDPA Reauthorization

While a Senate bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) has been held up in the Senate by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), the House of Representatives approved a bipartisan bill last Thursday on H.R. 5963, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act of 2016. The bill was voted out of

Preventing Child Abuse the Focus on Capitol Hill

KPJR films along with Prevent Child Abuse America held a Capitol Hill briefing, Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope.  The briefing focused on a new documentary on child abuse and neglect but included a panel discussion on prevention of child maltreatment. Resilience is a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film

Shrinking Spending For Children, Child Welfare: 2 Percent of 10 Percent

On Tuesday, September 20, the Urban Institute was the scene for a discussion of the 10th annual report on how federal spending for children’s programs is doing in Washington DC budgeting. The Kids Share  Report and a panel discussion that accompanied the release of the report suggests that children are not doing well, at least

Brookings Brings Key Participants to Discuss TANF

On Thursday, September 22, the Brookings Institute hosted a day long discussion, The 20th anniversary of welfare reform: Lessons and takeaways., Along with the Brookings Institution, the University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research. The daylong session broke out the analysis and discussion along the lines of, child well-being, marriage and families, work and poverty,

December 9 CR Struggles to Finish Line

Congressional dreams of an early departure last week rapidly dissipated when several issues emerged that slowed down a final deal.  Once again there are members, particularly senators, who are hoping this will be the final week of session until the post-election lame duck session.  The Senate will use a substitute bill to adopt the CR

Intervention Vs Prevention

 A potential long-term result of the current debate on the Families First Prevention Services Act is the pitting of the need for front end prevention of child maltreatment against the need for intervention services that prevent foster care.  In reality true comprehensive reform of the nation’s child welfare systems requires both of these vastly underfunded

JJDPA Reauthorization on House Floor Tuesday

The House has scheduled a vote for Tuesday on H.R. 5963, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act of 2016, a bill that would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).  The bill was voted out of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce last Wednesday, September 14.  If the JJDPA is

Right to Counsel for Vulnerable Children Raised on Hill

On Monday, September 12, groups including First Focus, the Children’s Advocacy Institute, the National Association of Counsel for Children, and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law conducted a briefing on the need for greater and required legal protection for children across a number of legal systems. The focus of the briefing

Senate Pushes December 9 CR, Early Departure

There appeared to be progress in appropriations discussions after the first week back.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced early in the week that the Senate would be proposing a CR that would extend funding to December 9, 2016.  That came as a rebuff to more conservative House members who had and still are

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