State

Addressing Youth Development and Preventing Violence

On Wednesday, July 22 Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) cosponsored a briefing by National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives on Preventing Violence: Evidence-Based Programs and Policies to Promote Positive Youth Development. CWLA is a member of the coalition. The focus of the briefing was to promote strategies that can help

Child Support Directors Ask Congress to Work With Administration

Last month key Republican leaders, including leaders from the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation and tough language to restrict the Administration’s implementation of new regulations of state child support enforcement practices. S.1525 and H.R. 2688 would prohibit HHS (the Secretary) from issuing a final rule making changes to the

Education Debate Likely to Hit Senate Floor First Week of July

It appears now that a tentative date for debate on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secretary Education Act, S 1177 (ESEA/No Child Left behind Act) will be the week of July 7. The Senate is off this week for the July 4th break but key senators from the HELP Committee have been waiting to

Supreme Court Upholds Child Abuse Evidence Via Mandatory Reporter

On Thursday, June 18 the Supreme Court upheld the use of a child’s comments to a mandatory child abuse reporter (a teacher) in the trial of his abuser.  The ruling Ohio V Clark  was 9 to 0 with Justice Alito writing the main opinion with a separate opinion by Thomas and a third opinion by

Joint Briefing Paper Highlights Tribal Disproportionality In Juvenile Justice

The Coalition on Juvenile Justice and the Tribal Law and Policy Institute have published a new brief paper, "American Indian/Alaska Native Youth & Status Offense Disparities: A Call For Tribal Initiatives, Coordination & Federal Funding." The paper examines the overrepresentation of American Indian and Alaskan Native youth in the nation’s juvenile justice system. The research indicates that

Republicans Discuss Options on ACA, CBO: Repeal Will Cost Money and Coverage

With time running out on this session’s Supreme Court term, Republican senators are discussing their options on how to react to a possible court ruling that would cut-off potentially 6.4 million people from their health insurance tax credits. At the same time the Congressional Budget Office said in an updated review that repeal of the

Congressional Republicans Take Aim at Child Support Regulations

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman Charles Boustany (R-LA), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced legislation to prevent the Administration from implementing proposed new regulations intended to update child support provisions.  The legislation was announced along with tough talk about “dead-beat

Wyden Bill Would Provide New Funding To Child Welfare

On Monday, May 5, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee released a “discussion draft” of legislation that would invest new money into child welfare services through Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. The discussion draft would build on the Administration’s FY 2016 budget request that seeks to expand

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing TANF Reauthorization

  On Thursday, April 30, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The hearing could be the precursor to a full reauthorization of the program which was last reauthorized in 2005, it has expired and received a series of short

Groups Issue Joint Statement On LGBT Parenting

Last week the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) joined Voice for Adoption (VFA), the Donaldson Adoption Institute, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) in issuing a joint statement on Parenting of Children by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adults. The statement says: (we) “believe that children deserve every opportunity to have

Value prop about becoming a member