Printer Friendly Page NAPCWA Policy Updates
The Commission on Children and Disasters Releases 2010 Report to the President and Congress
The National Commission on Children and Disasters was established by Congress and President George W. Bush in 2007 to identify and make recommendations to close gaps in all hazards preparedness, response, and recovery for children. On October 6, the Commission delivered its 2010 Report to the President and Congress with over 100 recommended actions for federal, state and local partners, including actions related to child care and child welfare.
States Respond to Child Data Collection Notices
APHSA and its affiliate the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators have submitted responses to the Children's Bureau July 23, 2010, Federal Register notices requesting comments on changes in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting Systems and Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System. To ensure that the responses aligned with the state challenges, solutions, and priorities, NAPCWA established work groups for the two automated systems.
- APHSA Comments on SACWIS Federal Register Notice (10-20-2010)
- APHSA Comments on AFCARS Federal Register Notice (10-20-2010)
House Passes Title IV-E Waiver Bill; NAPCWA Submits Support Letter
On Sept. 23, the House passed a bill on Title IV-E waivers (H.R. 6156) under suspension of the rules. This bill was introduced by Chairman Jim McDermott (D-WA) of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support. The committee held a hearing reviewing the outcomes of Title IV-E waiver demonstrations. States have been seeing significant decreases in their out-of-home care placements.
NAPCWA supports legislation that creates new Title IV-E waiver demonstrations. Furthermore, it is one step towards creating greater flexibility to support state innovations and the reinvest of cost savings, shifting those dollars to fund programs that are proven to work. States' rigorous use of these innovations has resulted in significant foster care reductions, which we find have been safely moving these children from out-of-home care to reunification or permanency. Although NAPCWA supports Title IV-E wavier demonstration projects, it is not the solution. APHSA and NAPCWA urge Congress to move forward with comprehensive child welfare financing. To view NAPCWA's latest proposal on child welfare financing, please visit here. Click here to view NAPCWA's support letter for H.R. 6156.
Senate Introduces the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization Bill
On Sept. 22, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), along with Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee introduced the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2010 reauthorization bill (S. 3817). Established in 1974, CAPTA was passed into law to assist states in improving their child protection policies and practices. These developments have included establishing a federal definition of child abuse and neglect and providing federal resources to support state innovations, research, training, data collection and program evaluation. CAPTA Title I State Grants includes several assurances that states must comply with to receive this federal funding. Funding is allocated to states based on a formula.
Community-Based Grants, added to CAPTA in 1996, provides funding to states to support their efforts in developing, operating and expanding networks of community-based, prevention-focused and family-centered programs existing in public and private entities.
The newly introduced legislation reauthorizes and amends CAPTA. Some of its provisions include increases to Title I funding levels by $12 million and Title II by $8 million. S. 3817 also makes a number of changes to Title I State Grants assurances, which include developing and implementing procedures for collaboration among child protection services, domestic violence services and other agencies in investigations, interventions, treatment and service delivery, including the use of differential response. Differential response activities are highly encouraged in this legislation.
S. 3817 also establishes a national domestic violence grant that shall be awarded to a non-profit organization to launch and operate a 24-hour national, toll-free hotline for adults and young victims of family, date or domestic violence so they can receive information and assistance.
Children's Bureau Releases new AFCARS Data
In late August, the Children's Bureau posted updated Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System data (Oct. 1, 2008 - Sept. 30, 2009) on its web site. The federal site includes trends in foster care and adoption from FY2002 through FY2009, state specific foster care statistics that reviews foster care entries, exits and numbers of children based on state data submitted before July 2010. FY2009 AFCARS data show that there were approximately 423,000 children in care, compared with 463,000 in FY2008. In addition to the reduction of the number of children in care, foster care entries have moderately decreased by 18,000 children from FY2008 through FY2009. Recent AFCARS statistics also show that children mostly exit care by reunifying with their birth parent(s) or primary caregiver(s).
New AFCARS data can be located on the Children's Bureau website here.
State Specific Foster Care Statistics (Foster Care FY 2002- FY2009 Entries, Exits, and Numbers of Children In Care on the Last Day of each Federal Fiscal Year) can be found on the Children's Bureau website here.
Trends in Foster Care and Adoption-FY 2002-FY 2009 can be found on the Children's Bureau website here.