Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 18. June 2012 09:51
Children’s Rights is a national advocacy group that has worked to bring change to struggling child welfare systems in more than a dozen states. The non-profit currently has class-action lawsuits active in three states related to the child welfare reform. Children’s Rights has launched a Facebook application (app) that provides the public with an interactive, social experience that is aimed at increasing awareness about the challenges and outcomes facing children in the foster care system. “Trapped: Fighting the Odds of U.S. Foster Care” allows users to track two fictitious brothers as they make their way through the child welfare system and age out of foster care with extremely different outcomes. [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 11. May 2012 08:47
Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA), along with Reps. George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA) and Gwen Moore (D-WI).) introduced the “Ensuring Child Care for Working Families Act of 2012,” (HR 5188) stating , “In these difficult economic times, too many families are forced to find ways to pay for child care assistance while they struggle to put food on the table and pay their rent. Child care assistance enables us to have a stable work force, with fewer absences and more productivity. And research shows that quality child care gives children the chance to learn and develop skills they need to succeed in school and in life.” [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 18. March 2011 04:35
On March 31, 2006, federal authority for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Children’s Bureau to approve Title IV-E waivers for states expired, with the states of California and Florida being the last states to obtain approval. Prior to the expiration of the authority, many states tested hypotheses for obtaining better outcomes for children and their families when restrictions on Title IV-E spending are lifted. On Thursday, March 17, legislation was introduced by Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Geoff Davis (R-KY). The legislation introduced is identical to the bill passed in the House last September, which died in the Senate. Last year, the Senate expressed interest in considering much more long term child welfare financing reform. [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 22. November 2010 09:14
In September 2010, Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 6156 to renew the authority of the Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to approve demonstration projects that will waive regulations of the Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Program. [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 4. October 2010 05:55
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Washington) was quite vocal on September 23 about renewing the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve state child welfare demonstration waivers. Mr. McDermott cited the valuable information obtained from state demonstration projects that have shifted federal policy to improve the outcomes for children and families. One example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the demonstration waivers was developing policy that allows guardianship placements established by the state to be reimbursed from Title IV-E funding. [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 24. September 2010 04:10
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 6156 this week that renews the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to approve demonstration projects designated to identify and address better outcomes for children who are in a state’s child welfare system. The language of the bill adds language related to projects that “provide early intervention and crisis intervention services that safely reduce out of home placements and improves outcomes for children.” [More]
Author: Kay Casey | Posted: 13. August 2010 05:39
Prior to recessing, Chairman Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Ranking Member John Linder (R-GA) of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a hearing to discuss past results from and current opportunities for waivers for Title IV-E, the foster care provisions of the Social Security Act. McDermott stated his intention to introduce legislation reauthorizing up to 10 waivers over 5 years. [More]
