Following CWLA’s 2021 Virtual Conference this week, will be our Virtual Hill Day on Wednesday, May 12th, in which we are asking CWLA members and Conference registrants to go to Capitol Hill to virtually meet their members of Congress to educate them on key child welfare legislation.

 

The 2021 CWLA Legislative Agenda, which lays out key priorities for CWLA in the first session of this 117th Congress, is available. As part of the Capitol Hill visits, CWLA members are urged to discuss some of the key or Hot Topics facing Congress right now.

 

There are three key points for CWLA members this week: Make the Child Tax Credit Permanent which would make the CTC fully refundable, even for low-income families. The Child Tax Credit is on track to be delivered monthly, starting in July 2021, by the IRS. Making the CTC permanent can lift more children above the poverty line than any other economic support program and be accessible. A second key point is Enact the Child Care for Working Families Act bill that would provide comprehensive child care and early learning infrastructure in an equitable approach that includes working middle-class families and families living paycheck-to-paycheck. The third key point is Addressing the Roadblocks of Racial Equity in Child Welfare. CWLA is not alone in calling for reform to the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA), it has not served its original intent in achieving permanency for children of color. Other critical race equity policies in addressing disproportionality include flexibility under the Title IV-E background checks for relative caregivers and easier access to Title IV-E kinship care funds.

 

For CWLA members and advocates, CWLA is asking people to become virtual participants. You can still lend your voice to help children and families. On Wednesday, May 12th, you can join us virtually by using this link and the materials included here.

Read this year’s Legislative Agenda and think about what the children and families in your community need. Then have handy CWLA’s “Hot Topics” our summary documents of requests for Virtual Hill Day. 

 

Need additional help in scheduling your Hill Day meetings, contact Shaquita Ogletree at sogletree@cwla.org.