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. The numerous state projects that provided guardianship placements under a Title IV-E waiver provided the basis for incorporating Guardianship Assistance in the Fostering Connections Legislation passed in October 2008. Letters of support were read, describing how waiving federal requirements have allowed states to provide prevention and support services to strengthen family functioning rather than having to remove children from their homes. A letter from the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA) supporting passage of HR 6156 was provided, and, in addition, supported extensive restructuring of federal child welfare financing in the future. THE NAPCWA has provided an extensive proposal to the Ways and Means Committee for refinancing objectives and hope to see action in FY 2011. 

About Kay Casey

Kay Casey has over 20 years of experience in federal and state child welfare policy and programs, having worked for the federal Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Florida Department of Children and Families prior to joining PCG. She is responsible for the review and assessment of fiscal processing systems that impact a state’s ability to identify, document, and report expenditures for federal reporting purposes accompanied with the programmatic impact on the state’s system of care.

Read More