Federal news update, July 2019

July 2019

Recalibrating the timing of these federal updates

Welcome to summer! At Partners for Our Children we are hard at work in many realms, including state and federal policy. Recently we decided to offer these updates quarterly from now on unless we have emergent news to share. So, please do look for the next update in early October 2019. 

Also, remember that we track federal legislation, which you can access here. If you know of additional legislation you would like Partners for Our Children to track, please contact us: info@partnersforourchildren.org

Unprecedented Congressional hearing tomorrow about trauma will present data from new state fact sheets on ACEs prevalence

A hearing of unprecedented scope and depth on ACEs science and childhood trauma – “Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Childhood Trauma: A Pervasive Public Health Issue that Needs Greater Federal Attention” – will be held this Thursday in the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. You can watch the live stream at 7:00 am PST through a link from the committee site.

Along with testimony from trauma survivors, the hearing will include testimony on the prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and the adequacy of the federal response to trauma. Testimony by one of the nation’s leading researchers on ACEs science, Dr. Christina Bethell, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, will draw upon state information on ACEs prevalence and key outcomes for children and adults.

Upcoming webinar: State Strategies to Reduce Child Poverty

First Focus on Poverty is presenting a webinar about State Strategies to Reduce Child Poverty also on Thursday July 11^th at 11 am PST.

Hear from advocates in Wisconsin, Maine, and California who are involved in state campaigns to end child poverty. Advocates will share lessons learned, best practices, and ways to take action.

Moderator: Cara Baldari, VP of Family Economics, First Focus on Children

Presenters

*          Ken Taylor, ED, Kids Forward, Wisconsin

*          Claire Berkowitz, ED, Maine Children’s Alliance

*          Jackie Wong, VP of Policy and Advocacy, GRACE, California

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Prevention Services Clearinghouse launches new website

The Prevention Services Clearinghouse website launched in late June and allows users to review programs and service ratings and also to:

• learn about the programs and services rated as well-supported, supported, promising, or does not currently meet criteria; 

• access information about the review process and ratings, including the Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures;
• find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, including how to recommend programs and services for review;
• access information about program or service implementation and resources; and,
• sign up for email updates.

You can access the website here: https://preventionservices.abtsites.com/ 

The Prevention Services Clearinghouse was established by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to systematically review research and evaluations on programs and services that provide enhanced support to children and families and prevent foster care placements.

Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) update and research brief to share

On Monday, May 20th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2480, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), via voice vote. The Stronger CAPTA asks for increased funding for communities and states to implement strategies and programs that help prevent child abuse. CAPTA re-authorization will prioritize the need for investment in systems and programs that work. H.R. 2480 currently is headed to the Senate.

On May 21st, 2019, Casey Family Programs released a brief on the Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Act (CAPTA). The brief provides information on the legislative history, summarizes the law, describes funding opportunities for both national and state-level, and discusses the importance of CAPTA to help keep children safe, strengthen vulnerable families, and support strong communities. 

A full version of this brief can be accessed here and lives on the Casey Family Programs website.

Child Welfare Data Modernization Act introduced in Congress in mid-June

In mid-June Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37) introduced the 2019 Child Welfare Data Modernization Act. The legislation would update, for the first time in 23 years, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting Systems (AFCARS).

AFCARS collects from the states compulsory national data on children in foster care in the United States. It was authorized by Congress in 1986 and requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect consistent and reliable data from states on demographic information and characteristics of foster and adopted children; biological, foster, and adoptive parents; the number of children entering and exiting foster care and awaiting adoption; and information on placements and permanency plan goals. 

Read the proposed legislation here. 

Federal bill tracking

As noted above, Partners for Our Children is tracking federal legislation in the 116th Congress. Please let us know if you have additional bills you would like us to track.