While the Senate COVID-19 bill provides minimal state supplements, it does provide some funding through the Senate Finance Committee bill and the Senate Appropriations bill for limited child welfare programs.
Funding includes an appropriation of $75 million through the Child Welfare Services (Title IV-B part 1),$50 million for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevent (CB-CAP) funds and $65 million for Family Violence and Prevention Services. Through the Finance Committee bill, additional child welfare funding includes $50 million for Chafee Independent Living funds and $10 million for the Court Improvement Program (CIP). The bill also provides up to $2 billion in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds if it is matched by the state and is capped for each state based on a poverty calculation.
While the funding is at least included, it is well below what CWLA and other advocates have been seeking through the Child Welfare Emergency Assistance Act (Brown). The bill which CWLA endorsed, now has 13 cosponsors including 7 Senate Finance Committee members. It provides several supports including $2 billion for CWS, $500 million for Chafee funding, extends Title IV-E to prevent aging out, provides an additional $30 million for the Court Improvement Program, increased match for Family First Services, $30 million for kinship navigator programs, and expanded access and support for Title IV-E for relative care/subsidized guardianships.
