Budget Policy
Summary
The federal budget resources social programs in three main ways: annually approved funds called appropriations, mandatory funds that are reauthorized for longer stretches at a time or indefinitely, and tax credits made available through income tax filings.
Annually appropriated federal programs must be consistently supported to ensure adequate funding every year. CWLA’s, Children and Families’ Federal Budget Chart tracks children’s welfare in the federal budget with the latest budget proposals and enactments from Congress and the President in key funding streams.
Mandatory funds don’t get debated as often, but strong advocacy is still need to strengthen these programs when they are reauthorized or need to be modified. Mandatory funds can be open-ended or capped entitlements to the state or qualified individuals.
Child welfare funding falls into all of these categories. Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, covering the foster care, adoption assistance, and kinship guardianship entitlements, is one of the largest child welfare funding sources, and the most direct, and strongest child welfare policy, so it receives special attention in an attempt to ensure it is best serving our most vulnerable children and their families.
The federal government also provides social support for families directly through the budget via tax credits. Tax credits are intended to incentivize certain activities; for example, work. Falling under the tax code, monetary benefits are received as deductions and/or credits on recipients’ annual income tax.
For More Information
- Federal Budgets:
- Financing Child Welfare Services
- Title IV-E of the Social Security Act
- 2016 Families First Prevention and Treatment Act
- Child Welfare Waivers
Legislation & Administration Action
CWLA Advocacy
The Federal Budget
The President’s Proposed Budget (and chart) for FY 2016
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Testimony and Comments
Financing Child Welfare Services
- Title IV-E Foster Care Program
- Timeline of Major Child Welfare Legislation
Finance Reform
- The Partnership to Protect Children and Strengthen Families
- Direct Service Workers’ Recommendations for Child Welfare Financing and System Reform
- CWLA’s Position on Major Provisions in the Various Finance Reform Proposals
- Vision and Principles for Finance Reform in Child Welfare
- Overview of Child Welfare Waivers
Testimony and Comments
- CWLA Testimony Submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee to Restore Funding for the Prompting Safe and Stable Families (3/21/08)
- CWLA Testimony Submitted to the Hearing on Challenges Facing the Child Welfare System to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support (5/15/07)
- CWLA Testimony Submitted to House Appropriations Subcommittee (3/23/07)
- Statement of the Child Welfare League of America submitted to the Senate Finance Committee on the Progress Achieved and Challenges Ahead for America’s Child Welfare System (5/10/06)
- Testimony of Patricia Wilson, Director, CWLA Southern Regional Office, before the House Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means for the Hearing to Examine Child Welfare Reform Proposals (7/13/04)
- CWLA Testimony Submitted to the House Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means for the Hearing on the Bush Administration Foster Care Flexible Funding Proposal (6/11/03)